The Charlatans of Circumstance
by LawliPop
Summary: Lelouch's fear sprung from his belief that a woman would develop feelings for him if she acted as his fiancée. Which is why he hires another man to play the part instead. / AU! SuzakuxLelouchxSuzaku.
1. Mother

_Lawli: I made a vow to post a Code Geass fic today, in honor of Lelouch's birthday. This is my fulfillment of that vow. And I'll apologize to you now, Lelouch, for throwing you into the situations you will face in this story just for the sake of my own (and hopefully the reader's) amusement. While I'm at it I'll apologize to Suzaku for the same thing. _

_Please read, enjoy, and don't forget to review! As this is my first chaptered (and AU) Code Geass fic I would love your feedback!_

_Warnings: AU fic! This means there is probably going to be some OOC-ness, though I am trying to make everyone as in-character as possible given the storyline. If I start to make any character drastically/annoyingly OOC just let me know and I'll correct it, though! Also, there will be crossdressing and yaoi (malexmale) in later chapters. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. Obviously. _

* * *

_**The Charlatans of Circumstance**_  
-Chapter One-

"Welcome home, Master Lamperouge."

The young man smiled pleasantly as the door to his limousine was held opened for him by the chauffeur who had just spoken. He placed one boot-clad foot on the ground and hoisted himself out from the sleek vehicle. The chauffeur handed him a black hat, which he took gratefully and placed on top of his head in order to hide his unruly mop of black hair. He nodded his thanks to the chauffeur, who in turn bowed respectfully and returned to the opposite side of the limousine, seated himself behind the steering wheel, and drove away to go park.

Lelouch Lamperouge watched the vehicle disappear before turning his violet eyes on the large manor before him. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the many roses and other colorful flowers which were planted alongside of the pathway, and began walking towards the house. Once he reached the entrance, as if expecting his arrival, the heavy oak doors were pulled open by two servants.

They greeted him with identical obligatory smiles once he stepped inside, offering to take his coat and his hat. He declined and strode further into the foyer. While he walked, he examined the elegant room, taking in the black, white, and gold décor. It was exactly the same as before he had left. Honestly, he could not pick out one thing that had changed over the years. The house was impeccably clean, tastefully decorated in his mother's three favorite colors, and defined by the large flag that hung from the ceiling, proudly bearing the Lamperouge family crest in the center.

Yes, this truly was his home. Prim, extravagant, and dull as usual.

"Lelouch, my darling, is that you?"

The young Britannian turned his head to the grand staircase, where he could see a middle-aged woman slowly descending the white marble steps. She wore a well-designed lavender dress and tucked in her ebony tresses were several jeweled clips. She was his mother, Marianne Lamperouge, and she looked exquisite, as always.

"It is I," Lelouch reassured.

She stopped when she stood beside him and embraced him, kissing his forehead lightly. He smiled pleasantly and returned the display of affection.

"It's been a long time, mother," he said.

His mother nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes; very long. Too long," she replied. "Oh, my son, I have missed you dreadfully. You must tell me, how was Spain?"

Lelouch closed his eyes. "Spain was wonderful. It is very beautiful at this time of year, mother; truly exquisite. You would have enjoyed it."

"I rather think I wouldn't," the woman disagreed.

"Oh, mother, will you ever stray from this old house?" Lelouch asked, taking her hand and leading her into the sitting room. After all this time of being away – almost four years now – he still remembered the location of every room in the large estate. Nothing had changed, it appeared; not that he expected it to.

"No I will not," she replied as she seated herself on one of the white couches, crossing her legs at the ankle. "And I think it is foolish that you do. Everything you could ever want is right here, Lelouch. I have always given you what you desired, and all that I've ever asked in return is that you stay here in Britannia." She shook her head, disappointed. "Oh, but you have that same silly sense of adventure that your father possessed – that is why I hate you and love you so much, my son."

But Charles Lamperouge – Lelouch's stepfather, now deceased – was not the only one who had such a 'silly' sense of adventure. In her younger years, Lelouch remembered, his mother had owned up to her nickname of 'Marianne the Flash.' She had been a feisty and courageous woman whose spirits and love for exploration had been doused after the accident that took her husband's life.

Marianne sighed quietly. "You are just like him in every way. Except," she smiled proudly, "I must say that you inherited your looks from me. Your father was never as pretty as you are, Lelouch."

Lelouch rolled his eyes at her, wondering if he should be offended. Men were not supposed to be considered _pretty_; they were supposed to be handsome. To be called pretty – even if just by his mother – was rather insulting. But all his life he had been considered a pretty little boy. Now he had grown and matured and was nearing his twenty-first birthday and he was still being referred to as pretty – and not only by just his mother anymore, either. Where was the masculinity in that?

_Pretty_. Ridiculous, ridiculous woman!

"Mother, please," he begged, swatting her hand away gently when she removed his hat and began to fuss with his hair, and silently trying to will away the unbidden blush that had risen to his cheeks.

"Why must you wear your hair like this, Lelouch? It looks horribly messy."

Lelouch was already wishing that he had postponed his visit home another few months. He had only been inside for a grand total of five minutes and already his mother was driving him mad. He loved the woman dearly, but her constant nagging made him absolutely sick. Perhaps that was why he left his homeland so frequently – not due to a sense of adventure (because he severely doubted that he possessed even one adventurous bone in his body), but because he was constantly stifled by his family and needed some method of escape.

His mother moved from the subject of her son's hair to what she deemed to be a more pressing matter – the subject of Lelouch finding a wife. Lelouch had to suppress a groan when she began mentioning the names of some of the young girls he had grown up with.

"Miss Fenette stopped by the other day. You remember her, do you not? I told her that it was a royal shame you wouldn't be arriving for another two days, for I'm certain you would have been thrilled to speak with her after all these years. You should have seen her, darling. She looked positively lovely in the dress she had on. And – you won't believe this – she was wearing that white ribbon you had given her when you were children. She treasures it, you know. Just as she treasures you..."

Lelouch sighed and leaned back against the headrest of the couch in order to get more comfortable. The cushions sunk slightly underneath his weight. "Mother, we have already discussed this."

"I know, I know. I'm just telling you again that I think Miss Fenette would make a brilliant wife for you. She would agree readily if you asked her."

"_If_ I asked her... which I _won't,_" the young man assured.

"Darling, why must you be so stubborn? You're never going to get married at this rate if you show such little interest in the women around you." She suddenly gasped and gave her son a scrutinizing glare. "You're one of those _homosexuals_, aren't you," she questioned, or more like assumed, in a highly disapproving tone.

Lelouch's face flushed at the accusation. "M-_mother_! _No_!"

"Then why are you not interested in Miss Fenette?"

Lelouch stood from the couch, squaring his shoulders slightly. "Mother, I have already told you countless times that I am not comfortable discussing this subject with you."

At his mother's demanding gaze, he situated himself back down next to her. He always gave into her when she looked at him that way – and she knew it, the shrewd woman.

"I just haven't met the right woman yet," he explained. "And, before you even say it, no; I do not believe Shirley Finette to be the right woman for me. She is indeed very beautiful, but she is very..." his voice trailed off as he lost the words to express the way he felt.

"What?" Marianne beckoned. "She is very what?"

Lelouch frowned and placed a finger against his bottom lip, tapping it occasionally as he tried to think of the best way to describe the girl who had been, in a sense, his childhood sweetheart. "Ordinary," he supplied, exhaling deeply. "I don't know." Sighing once more, he stood up heavily and turned his gaze away from his mother. "It matters not. I am in no rush to get married, mother."

"You say that now," his mother smirked. "But before you leave this house next week, I will make sure that you change your mind."

Lelouch's mouth fell open and he raised one of his thin eyebrows elegantly in query. A small grin tugged at his lips and he chuckled silently at the thought. He would allow his mother to think what she wished; he knew that her belief would never become a reality. Lelouch considered himself a rational and responsible man, unlikely to do anything as rash or spontaneous as falling in love at first sight. The mere thought was ludicrous.

Yes, he would leave his mother with her hope intact. The chance that Lelouch would actually fall in love (or at the very least discover someone he would even _consider_ marrying) in the course of one week was highly unlikely, no matter what sort of tricks his mother had at her disposal.

Lelouch laughed again and nodded, bowing politely to his mother before excusing himself to his bedchambers. The ever-perceptive violet eyes of his mother followed him as he left the sitting room and made his way to the large staircase located in the main foyer.

Once he was out of eyesight, Marianne uncrossed her legs and averted her gaze to the ceiling thoughtfully. A pale, slender finger rose to her cheek as she thought for a moment, and then her expression lit up considerably.

"Sayoko," she called to a servant girl who had been standing several feet away, pretending to dust the antique plates which resided inside of an old wooden display cabinet.

Sayoko paused in her chore and turned around so that she could face the mistress of the house. She bowed respectfully before approaching.

"Lady Lamperouge," she asked, "how may I be of service?"

"Be a dear and fetch me my address booklet," Marianne instructed. "I need to plan a small get-together."

The servant nodded her head. "Right away, my lady," she said before disappearing around the corner to go fetch the requested booklet.

* * *

Upon arriving inside of his bedchambers Lelouch discovered that his luggage had already been brought inside and unpacked neatly, the suitcases stashed away inside of the separate changing room. For this he was grateful, as he was feeling far too exhausted by the squabble with his mother to even think about putting away his own clothing.

Not even taking the time to admire his grand bedroom – which he now realized he had sorely missed while living in Spain – he approached the four-poster bed and flopped rather unceremoniously onto the mattress, his pale cheek pressing against the comforter. He kicked off his shoes (relishing briefly in the feeling of his toes being fable to finally breathe again) and climbed the rest of the way onto the bed, already feeling more at ease as he allowed himself to relax.

As he was teetering on the border between consciousness and pleasant slumber, Sayoko entered his bedroom. Lelouch sat up, blinking groggily, and jolted when he caught sight of her.

"Sayoko," he all but yelled, voice jumping an octave to his own surprise, "it is hardly polite to enter without knocking first!"

The Japanese woman stared at him questioningly. "But Master Lamperouge, I did knock," she said. "You did not answer. I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable, but your mother asked me to come up here, sir."

Lelouch stood from his bed, pausing to smooth away the possible wrinkles on his clothing before addressing her again. "No, it's fine. You startled me, is all. What did my mother need?"

Sayoko made her way to his changing room, disappearing through the door and reappearing moments later with a rather large box. "She wished for me to present you with this," she explained, lifting the top of the box away and revealing a suit beneath the layers of packaging paper. "And she requests that you wear it this evening."

Lelouch removed the suit from the box, admiring the fine material it was made out of but stopping before he could reach out and touch it as Sayoko's words finally registered in his mind. "This... evening?" he repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yes, sir," affirmed Sayoko. "This evening. Your mother is planning a small dinner party in celebration of your arrival." And then she added, smugly, "She is inviting many young ladies."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed minutely at this. Without a doubt, it was the first attempt of the week to find him a wife; he hadn't expected her to act so quickly, but apparently his mother was even more eager to see him wed than Lelouch himself anticipated. That was understandable, as it was most likely every mother's dream to see her son happily married, but Lelouch would not give her the satisfaction of winning this little bet.

Placing the suit on the bed, he thanked Sayoko and then placed his shoes back on his feet. "Kindly inform my mother that I am out taking a walk, and that I may or may not return in time for dinner this evening."

Sayoko caught the scheming grin on her young master's face and nodded her head. "Of course, Master Lamperouge," she promised with a small chuckle. "Do enjoy your walk."

"I shall."

And with that, Lelouch exited his room and made his way towards the front door of the grand estate.

He had absolutely no intention of making it back for dinner.

* * *

_Lawli: Anyone else besides me like to imagine Lelouch in a top-hat? 8)_

_Happy holidays, everyone! Please give the gift of a review to this poor authoress on your way out! Constructive criticism is also appreciated._


	2. Collisions

_Lawli: I completed my last final exam/essay today, and afterwards could only think of one thing: writing fanfiction! I just hope that my creativity hasn't totally died after all the projects, essays, and tests I had to do! But even if it has been, I'll try my best to continue this story! Because __I'm so happy with all the positive response I received for the last chapter! Honestly I was nervous about posting such an AU story, so I was so relieved to see it being received well!_

_Special thanks to... **-w- easy enough; **_**_eMi to mAo 374__; __VirtualDraconium__; __Sparxyu__; __L Lexuran__; ...; __Senorita Lucha 777__; __PheonixShadow__; __Princess of Oblivion__; and __6-The-Cloaked-Nocturne-9_**_ for reviewing the first chapter! _

_Suzaku is introduced in this chapter. Yay~_

_Please read, enjoy, and don't forget to leave a review on your way out! Feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome and appreciated!_

* * *

**_The Charlatans of Circumstance_**  
-Chapter Two-

Being an Eleven living in Britannia made for a life full of disadvantages, especially when it came to finding work. The Britannian people were prejudice by nature – it was just the way they were raised – and outward displays of racism towards the Numbers were something practiced on a daily basis.

By this point, Kururugi Suzaku had grown used to being turned away by potential employers just because of their bias against his heritage. It mattered not that he'd been living in Britannia most of his life – that he'd rejected his nationality and adopted Britannia's, becoming an Honorary Britannian.

_That's just on paper,_ people told him constantly, as they slammed the door in his face; _you're still nothing more than a worthless Eleven._

Britannia invaded his homeland of Japan not long after his seventh birthday. Before that, Suzaku had lived a privileged life as the Prime Minister's only son, with the only serious thing to worry about being the Kendo lessons that he used to attend every day. The proud nation of Japan put up a worthy fight against the enemy nation, but in the end Britannia proved to be a far stronger opponent.

Suzaku had been there when they stormed the shrine where he and his family lived. He hadn't known what was going on, he'd been too afraid to make sense of it all, but he remembered a lot of smoke, a lot of screaming.

He fled the country, along with his aunt and his young cousin, Kaguya – the only other two members of his family presumed alive. They left Japan for Britannia, hoping for a better life in the Mainland than they would receive in a conquered territory.

They left behind everything... their pasts, their title...

And now he was nothing, nothing but a Number, reduced to scrounging the streets in the evening for lost change.

He tried not to let it bother him, the fact that he lived in poverty. After all, having a negative attitude wouldn't help him at all, and pitying himself would certainly make the days harder to get through.

But it proved difficult, especially on days like today, when try as he might he failed to earn more than a measly fifteen pounds.

_Nowhere near enough... _

Truth be told, Suzaku didn't care about money, or status. If he lived alone, his socioeconomic situation wouldn't faze him in the least bit. As it was, he didn't just have himself to look after.

Two years ago his aunt became ill. They hadn't the means to help her – medicine was expensive, and many doctors refused to treat non-Britannian patients. She'd died soon after contracting the disease, and not long ago her daughter Kaguya began to show signs of it as well; high fever, fatigue, severe cough, instances of collapsing.

Suzaku refused to lose his last remaining relative. No matter what, he would find a way to cure her.

* * *

Lelouch knew his destination from the moment he stepped foot outside the mansion. It was quite a far walk from the Lamperouge estate, but out of the desire for privacy he declined the invitation from his chauffeur to drive him anywhere further than the center of town. It was very important that no-one who could get back to his mother knew where he was about to go. Actually, it was rather important that no-one at all knew where he was about to go.

After all, a brothel was hardly a place for a respectable gentleman to be visiting.

"I was wondering when you would come to see me," a female voice greeted.

Before him stood a wise-looking woman donned in a fashionable black dress, the bodice of which was lined in gold to match her eyes. Lelouch recognized her easily as the owner of the brothel.

Lelouch quirked a brow at the woman, a smirk curving his lips upward. "And who says it is you I came to see, C.C.?"

C.C.'s expression mirrored his own. "Considering your aversion to the female gender, I could only presume that it was not any of my girls."

It was a blow to his masculinity, but with his mother accusing him of being homosexual every so often Lelouch was used to that. There was also the fact that C.C.'s statement was true, although not exactly in the way C.C. meant for it to be.

Lelouch did not consider himself averse to the female gender, per say, he just... did not have any particular interest in them. Not to say that he didn't find women attractive, because he did – he was very much a man in that aspect; he just didn't especially enjoy being in their company, mainly because of the way women tended to act when in his presence, reducing themselves to giggling fools in an attempt to appear cute and impress him.

C.C. was different.

C.C. – not the woman's given name, but what she preferred to go by – was what most people would refer to as _strange_. Certainly she was nothing like the typical Britannian woman – she was tactless most of the time, favoring straightforwardness over wasting time phrasing things politely, and fiercely independent – and that was exactly why Lelouch had been drawn to her in the first place.

She was intriguing, with a sense of humor similar to Lelouch's own, and an apathetic outlook on life that Lelouch found refreshing. Moreover, he was comfortable in her presence, which was more than he could say for any other Britannian woman he'd ever encountered. C.C. did not fawn over him, did not fight for his attention, and she certainly never called him _pretty_. To be frank, Lelouch didn't even think C.C. cared about him at all; there was nothing between them other than a mutual desire for a tolerable companion, which they both had trouble finding.

No dreamy eyes, no flirtatious smiles... nothing related to romance in any facet.

She was the perfect companion for Lelouch.

"What is _that_?" C.C. asked as she stepped aside for him to enter.

The top hat his mother so detested had resumed its perch atop his head, offering somewhat of a disguise against bystanders who might recognize him.

"You don't like it?" Lelouch returned her question with another, removing the hat to examine it himself, hoping to find what everyone else found so appalling about it.

C.C. regarded him for a moment before deciding, "I think it suits you."

Unsure of whether this was a compliment or an insult in disguise – and leaning towards the latter – Lelouch merely frowned in response and placed the hat back on his head defiantly.

"Won't you come inside? Or would you rather we stand in the doorway?" C.C. prompted when he made no further attempts to say anything.

Lelouch shook his head. "Actually, C.C., I was hoping we might take a walk."

* * *

C.C. didn't bother concealing her laughter as Lelouch revealed his reason for wishing to speak with her. The glare Lelouch shot in her direction amused her all the more.

"It isn't funny," Lelouch bristled, fists clenching..

"On the contrary," C.C. disagreed, looping her arm through Lelouch's as they continued to walk, "I find it highly amusing. That mother of yours... She hasn't changed one bit, I see. But I suppose things wouldn't be very interesting for you if she did."

Lelouch tilted his head away from her. "Perhaps not interesting, but surely less worrisome..."

A small noise resounded from the back of C.C.'s throat, her only response to that statement. They continued in silence, passing expensive boutiques which every so often they stopped to gaze in the windows of. As the pair approached a jewelry store near the end of the street, C.C. tugged gently on Lelouch's arm and pointed at the display.

Exhibited in the window were diamond rings, all varying in size and style. Lelouch frowned as he gazed down at them, hating each of the rings and what they symbolized.

"To think you may have to be a customer of that store soon, Lelouch," C.C. teased as he pulled them away from the window.

"That will not be happening," Lelouch assured.

"How can you be so sure?"

Lelouch paused a moment to look down at C.C., whose head was turned in the opposite direction, gaze still focused on the ring display. He closed his eyes and resumed their easy pace. "Because I know myself," he answered simply.

"We never know ourselves entirely," C.C. stated. "That is what I believe, at least."

"Your personal beliefs hold little value to me," Lelouch told her honestly, wishing to get back to the original matter at hand. "Nor were they what I wanted to hear when I asked for your advice."

She released his arm, and Lelouch blinked in silent question.

"Perhaps I am disinclined to help you with your problem, Mr. Lamperouge," C.C. said, shocking Lelouch with the iciness of her tone.

"C.C..." Lelouch began, but his voice trailed off as he locked eyes with her. An emotion he couldn't identify swam in her golden eyes, which he was unused to seeing as anything other than indifferent or amused. Before he could even inquire about this, however, C.C. shook her head and her expression was once again neutral.

"However, I am aware that you can do very little without my assistance. You are really quite pathetic in that regard."

Eyes narrowing, Lelouch took a step closer to her. He'd never in his life hit a woman, but the remark made him angry enough to want to. C.C. was often careless with her words, saying whatever she wanted in any way she pleased, not thinking of the people she might offend in the process; but this, Lelouch knew, had been deliberate.

She was goading him, hoping to elicit any type of reaction. She —!

Lelouch grunted as someone collided with him, almost knocking him to the ground as he stumbled back as a result. His hat now lay beside his feet. Growling, he hastily tried to regain composure, turning to face his assailant.

"O-_oi_!" he cried after the young man who hadn't even stopped to apologize after running into him. _Reckless idiot,_ he fumed, smoothing out the wrinkles in his pants as he watched the man's retreating back. _He's going to seriously injure..._

Lelouch's eyes widened as he realized that the wallet he normally kept in his left pocket had magically disappeared.

"_Thief!_"

* * *

He'd been livid. But more than that, he'd been desperate.

Luciano Bradley, the only doctor in town willing to take Kaguya as a patient, was a crooked man, who demanded far more than the value price of the medicine needed to treat her – knowing fully well they couldn't afford it, that they just didn't have that sort of money even with all the odd jobs Suzaku worked.

"_You get me that money, Kururugi, 'else the girl's as good as dead." _

"_Dr. Bradley, you don't understand! That kind of money, I—"_

"_I don't care to hear your excuses. If you want that medicine, you'll find a way to pay me."_

Suzaku's eyes burned with the angry tears he refused to shed.

Five hundred pounds... _five hundred pounds_ for a single treatment, and Kaguya would need more than just one treatment. It would take him weeks, possibly months to afford that; and even if he did somehow manage to get the money Dr. Bradley asked for, how in the world could he ever be expected to keep paying?

"_I will tell you, Kururugi, that I do accept other methods of imbursement..."_

Nails digging into the palms of his hands, Suzaku stormed down the street, disgust written all over his face.

That bastard, actually expecting him to...

Suzaku clenched his eyes shut tightly, refusing to even finish the revolting thought.

_But it might be my only option_. _Unless..._

Opening his eyes, he focused on a young couple standing in front of a jewelry store not too far away. They appeared wealthy, judging by the clothes they wore and the way they carried themselves. The woman was staring into the window of the boutique intently, pointing out one of the rings on display – probably asking her husband to buy it for her.

It was nauseating how blithe the rich could be, throwing away their money left and right in order to purchase unnecessary things.

Suzaku's nostrils flared as resentment washed over him. To have that kind of money...

... To have that kind of money, he would do _anything_.

Before Suzaku even realized it, he was running – running towards the couple who had long since left the store window without buying anything. Suzaku was by no means trained in the art of thievery, but he had picked pockets successfully in the past. With elderly gentlemen, performing such an act was rather simple. This Britannian was much younger, but physically didn't seem very fit, and Suzaku was confident in his ability to escape should the other man prove stronger than he looked.

He rammed into the man's shoulder, hands darting out quickly as they stumbled back, reaching for the left pocket where Suzaku could make out the bulge of a wallet. Once it was safely in his grasp, Suzaku tucked the change purse away inside his clothes and continued to sprint off.

A satisfied smirk appeared on his face. That had been almost_ too_ easy. Suzaku felt a bit bad for the guy... at least, until he heard the man calling after him.

"_Thief_!" a deep voice hollered, and Suzaku knew the couple had caught on.

Willing his legs to move faster even at the cost of appearing more suspicious, Suzaku turned a corner sharply, well aware of the shouts that followed him.

"_Catch him_!"

"_Which way did he go_?"

Suzaku spotted an alley several feet away, just narrow enough to squeeze into. Glancing over his shoulder, he felt relieved to find that many of his pursuers had either given up or were just to slow to keep up. Perfect. He would hide in the alley for a while, until the disturbance was forgotten.

For several minutes he remained still, hardly daring to even breathe lest he be discovered. Shadows of men passed by, and Suzaku watched them all nervously until he deemed it safe enough to let his guard down.

Lowering himself to the floor, Suzaku allowed himself to smile at the job well done and fished the wallet out to count his prize.

Emerald eyes bulged.

Inside the wallet were a number of fifty pound notes.

Two hundred... two hundred pounds!

"Excuse me," a distinctly female interrupted his mental celebration.

Suzaku's heart jumped in his chest and he quickly closed the wallet, eyes darting upwards and catching those of the woman whose husband he'd just stolen from.

* * *

_Lawli: Oh, C.C., you are one of those characters who I find exceptionally difficult to write properly. . I just hope I didn't butcher your personality TOO much. __And I couldn't resist making Luciano Bradley the evil creepy doctor. Because I always thought he was a slimeball in the show... so I thought he'd fit the role nicely. lol_

_Anyways, please tell me your thoughts on the chapter! _

_Hopefully I'll be able to update before then, but if I don't then Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it! (Heheheh...I'm wishing for the Code Geass CLAMP artbook from 'Santa'. ;) )_


	3. The Solution?

_Lawli: Hello again! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I had a great Christmas, got lots of good stuff (Coach purse, tickets to see Wicked) so I hope everyone else did as well! ^-^ And a semi-late present to everyone is a new update for this fic!_

_Some people were wondering if this was going to be SuzaLulu or LuluSuza. Though we're not that far into it yet, I'll tell you all now that it's going to probably be more SuzaLulu (however, at some parts, it may be reversed since Suzaku has to pretend to be the "woman" of the relationship..)_

_THANKS TO...**SuzaLulu, **_**_eMi to mAo 374_****_, Tsugane, Ookami Fuu, -w- easy enough, _****_6-The-Cloaked-Nocturne-9_****_, ..., Kay, xxxCodeTsubasa, 2stupid, Senorita Lucha 777, _****_mochiusagi_**_**, miichan, CrimsonUtopia**... FOR REVIEWING!_

_Tomorrow I'm off to Mizucon in Miami. If you're going, be sure to say hi to me! I'll be dressed as Kitty!Rolo. =)_

_Without further ado, enjoy the chapter! And please leave a review on the way out, if you like!_

* * *

**_The Charlatans of Circumstance  
_**Chapter Three

"Forgive me."

Currently Suzaku knelt before the woman, his hands resting stiffly on his thighs and his head bowed. Once she'd discovered him, there had been no reason to remain in the cramped little alley. They now stood to the side of the nearly empty street, the woman looking down at him with an expression that didn't seem fitting for a person whose husband had just been robbed. She almost seemed... _amused_ by the situation – particularly with her husband, who was doubled over several feet away trying to catch his breath.

Obviously Suzaku had been right to assume that the man was not in the best shape.

"Stealing is a felony," the woman said tonelessly. "Forgiving you will not change that. And even if it did, you'd have no business asking forgiveness from me. It wasn't _my_ purse you took."

Suzaku blinked, raising his head very slightly. Glancing between the two aristocrats, he then amended his words. "Forgive me for robbing your husband."

Instead of accepting the apology, the woman completely surprised Suzaku by laughing. Immediately the Japanese man jumped to the conclusion that she was laughing at _him_, not even pausing to consider the possibility that there may have been an error in his words.

"Husband?" the woman repeated, the tiniest of smiles tugging her lips upwards as she regarded the black-haired man who had come to stand by her side. She motioned in his direction with the fan she carried in her right hand and asked Suzaku to affirm; "Him? I may be getting old, but I am not desperate, young thief."

At this, the nobleman glared at her and raised his nose a little higher.

Suzaku, embarrassed, didn't quite know what to say. "I-I'm sorry for assuming," he finally managed to stammer out.

"Yes, well, that is hardly the most important matter at hand," the black-haired man spoke for the first time in Suzaku's presence. His voice was deep, and if Suzaku had not been too preoccupied with trying to think of a way to shirk the punishment he'd soon be receiving, he would also find it quite soothing – albeit rather unfitting for the man's delicate build. "You may not be aware, but the penalty for theft in Britannia is the loss of your hands."

Clenching his fists, Suzaku swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm aware," he replied, slowly and quietly. And he couldn't even say to himself that he didn't deserve it. He'd willingly broken the law. This man was justified in punishing him.

But Kaguya...

He never would have done it if he didn't need to buy that medicine so badly. If Dr. Bradley wasn't such a cruel, selfish person.

"But..." Suzaku found himself speaking before he could stop himself. It wasn't like him to beg for anything, yet there he was, suddenly pleading for this man – this complete stranger, from whom he'd just taken two hundred pounds – to spare him. "Please, sir, I... My cousin is ill, she needs medicine that I just can't afford and..." He was rambling now, unable to hold back now that he'd started, and the whole story came spilling out. He sounded pathetic, desperate, but maybe he was – no, he _knew_ he was, otherwise he wouldn't have even fathomed the idea of stealing in the first place.

Judging by the look on his face, the man either didn't care or didn't believe Suzaku's dilemma. As he was about to say something, however, the woman set a hand on his shoulder.

"Lelouch, I think we best be going," she told him, and Suzaku felt his hopes rise the slightest bit.

"C.C.!" the man – Lelouch – hissed, turning his narrow violet eyes on her incredulously. "You expect me to just walk away and let this criminal run free?"

C.C. (_odd name for a woman_, Suzaku couldn't help but think) shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "If you want me to give you the advice you seek then, yes, I do," she replied, unfazed by the look Lelouch gave her. "But do whatever you like."

Whatever Lelouch's problem, it must have been more serious than the situation he was in now. Suzaku watched as an array of emotions flashed across his face – anger, skepticism, and after a short while, acceptance.

Adjusting the lapels of his fitted jacket, Lelouch scowled at Suzaku, who averted his gaze to the ground. "Consider this a warning then."

As they started to walk away, C.C. glanced over her shoulder, locking eyes with Suzaku.

She was smiling at him.

* * *

"I have a solution to your problem," C.C. informed Lelouch, once they were far away from the would-be thief and on course for the brothel.

"Well, _please_, don't keep it to yourself," Lelouch said with an air of irritation, clearly still brooding over allowing the pickpocket off with only a warning.

"Marriage."

Lelouch lifted an eyebrow at the word. "Marriage," he repeated, unimpressed. "Forgive me, I was under the impression that marriage _was_ my problem."

"It is," C.C. said, nodding in concurrence. "At least, marriage to any of the women your mother is planning to match you with. However, marriage – or rather, a fictitious one, may be the key to solving this problem. If your mother believes you to be married, or engaged at the very least, surely she will give up her attempts to pair you with the ladies _she_ deems suitable for you."

Lips curving in a thoughtful frown, Lelouch mulled over the idea. It was certainly plausible that his mother would indeed put an end to her matchmaking tricks if Lelouch told her he was married or engaged to be so. Then again, his mother constantly surprised him; Lelouch wouldn't put it past her to continue with her annoying habit just to spite him and his 'bride-to-be'.

"It could work," he said, placing a hand to his chin as he began to formulate a plan in his mind.

He would tell his mother he'd met his _fiancée_ during his trip to Spain – that it had been love at first site, and he couldn't have lived without her so he proposed the evening before his return to Britannia. It was a stretch, for anyone who knew Lelouch (and his mother knew him above all others) knew that he was not a man to rush into things.

But Marianne would have no choice but to believe her son, once Lelouch introduced her to the woman.

The _woman_...

Therein lay another problem.

Where could he find a woman to play the role of his fiancée?

Lelouch cast a sidelong glance in C.C.'s direction. If there was ever a woman he would even _consider_ marrying, it was C.C. Definitely attractive enough, and possessing a personality Lelouch could tolerate, C.C. was only person Lelouch could think of off the top of his head. But even as he thought this, he knew it wouldn't be smart to ask her to play the part for him. While not particularly well-known, there was the possibility of someone recognizing C.C..

There was the also the setback of C.C.'s gender. Women by nature were prone to romance, and even though C.C. seemed disinterested in him in such a sense Lelouch didn't want to risk her developing feelings for him.

But then again... that risk came with asking _any_ woman to stand in as his fiancée.

Feeling his gaze on her, C.C. asked, "what?"

Lelouch sighed, closing his eyes. "It won't work." At her blank stare, he elaborated. "There is no one I can think of to play my fiancé. I do not wish to ask a woman I don't know, but I cannot ask any woman I _do _know, either."

His reasons for worry were valid. C.C. would have dropped the subject then and just told him she had no other ideas, but she couldn't help but tease, "it doesn't have to be a woman."

Scoffing, Lelouch fixed her with his best scowl and crossed his arms over his chest. "I know you are fond of envisioning me as a raving homosexual, C.C., but I am _not_ hiring a _man_ to..."

Lelouch's voice trailed off as a thought occurred to him.

C.C. only meant it in a joking manner, but her words now seemed like a stroke of genius to Lelouch.

The cause of Lelouch's hesitation sprung from his fear of a woman developing feelings for him if she acted as his bride-to-be. If he hired a _man_ to act the part, he wouldn't have any causes for concern. It was the perfect solution – how had he not thought of it sooner?

"I thank you, C.C. You have indeed resolved this problem for me. I knew I could count on you."

C.C. looked shocked for a moment or so, astonished that Lelouch would actually agree to do such a thing. Lelouch had already moved on to the new question of what man to choose as his partner in this charade. Obviously it could not be a nobleman or anyone with a recognizable face. More importantly, it had to be someone willing to do such a degrading thing as dress up as a woman for an indefinite amount of time.

Who on earth could be that desperate?

As if sensing his thoughts, C.C. suggested, "what about that boy from earlier?"

Lelouch called an image of the young man to his mind, picturing the dark green eyes and tousled brown hair.

"_My cousin is ill... I'm the only one she has, and I just... can't afford medicine..."_

Fragments of his story popped up in Lelouch's mind.

"_Forgive me." _

"What did he say his name was, C.C.?"

C.C. smiled at the gleam in his eyes. "If memory serves me, Suzaku Kururugi," she answered after a brief pensive silence.

"An _Eleven_," Lelouch gasped, growing fonder of the idea of using this young man as his wife with every passing second. Sure, it would be embarrassing to fake affection with another man, but picturing the look on his mother's face when he informed her that he was already engaged – and to an Eleven, no less – made any and all awkwardness he might face worth it.

As they neared the brothel, Lelouch took C.C.'s arm so she could walk more closely to him. "When is the soonest you could find him for me?" he wondered when they stopped in front of the door.

C.C. faced him, her golden eyes swimming with emotions Lelouch could not identify. She raised her arm, looking as though she was about to caress his face, but then thought otherwise and lowered it back to her side. "Tomorrow evening, I'm sure."

"I'll return then."

C.C. only nodded, and after a short goodbye followed by a tip of that ridiculous top-hat, Lelouch left her.

* * *

He was late.

This had been part of the plan, of course.

Well, actually, the original plan had been for Lelouch to miss the dinner party altogether. As it was, he arrived in time for tea and desert. Striding into the dining hall with utmost confidence, Lelouch met his mother's gaze. Marianne sat at the head of the long table, her expression that of a loving mother welcoming her only son while her eyes burned with fury.

"Look whose finally decided to grace us with his presence!" she gushed, rising from her seat and directing everyone's attention to Lelouch, who had been hoping to slip into his own seat unnoticed. His mother, being his mother, could never allow things to go the way he wanted.

Fixing the roomful of guests with his most winning smile, Lelouch acted as though he was completely surprised by their being there. "Why mother, I hope you didn't do all of this on my account," he said.

"I did." Marianne's eyes narrowed slightly. "As the guest of honor, one would expect you to arrive _on time_ for a change."

"Mother, I had no idea," Lelouch lied easily, the smile never leaving his face. "I wish you would tell me these things in advance."

"I had a message sent to you, as well as proper clothing for the event." She frowned at his old suit and hat.

"I'm afraid I was out for a stroll around town. I never received the message." Lelouch pulled his chair out from the table, situating himself comfortably. "But enough of this, I am here now... and I also have a bit of exciting news to share with you all."

Marianne blinked, exchanging confused looks with the woman beside her (Shirley Fenette's mother). "News?" she repeated, and Lelouch nodded his head vigorously, standing from his chair to address all of their guests.

"I had intended to inform you in private, Mother, but since our friends are here I may as well say it in front of them." Lelouch paused, eyes sweeping around the room and taking in the looks of anticipation present on each person's face. Gesturing dramatically with his right hand, Lelouch broke the 'news'. "I am engaged to be married!"

There was a collective gasp from all the dinner party's attendees (particularly the young females), and the horrified look on his mother's face made Lelouch grin victoriously.

* * *

One of the few good things about owning a brothel was that the business connected C.C. to a lot of people. She'd questioned many of her contacts about the young Eleven named Suzaku Kururugi. A majority of them didn't know who she was referring to, of course, but several merchants claimed that he sometimes ran errands and made deliveries for them.

"Is there a problem?" they would ask, and she would smile and shake her head.

"No, I was merely curious_. He owes me a favor, you see, and I was wondering how best to reach him."_

She didn't even need to inquire for his information, they were all eager to point her in his direction.

Suzaku Kururugi and the ill cousin he kept watch over resided in a two-room flat in a narrow building near the outskirts of town – or the ghetto, as it was more commonly known as. The building was made of red brick faded by the harsh sun, and several of the windows were smashed beyond repair. C.C. was hardly a shallow person, but she couldn't help the curl of her lip as she braved the rickety staircase to the third floor.

The only door on the third level was unlocked, and C.C. opened it without knocking, stepping inside as if the flat belonged to her. It was tinier than it looked on the outside, with a kitchen and sitting area combined into one room, and two tiny doors leading presumably to a bathroom and a bedroom. The light to one of the room's was on, but other than that the house was dark.

"Suzaku...?"

The name was spoken softly, but C.C. heard it coming from the room with the light on. Without replying, she approached the door and entered the room.

The walls were painted white. In the center of the room there was a bed big enough for only one person, and on the floor beside it a small heap of blankets. On the pink-quilted bed sat a young girl with long black hair and large green eyes reminiscent of the boy C.C. had encountered the previous day.

"You must be his cousin."

The girl stared at her, nervous yet trying to appear otherwise. "Who are you?"

C.C. couldn't help but smile at the defensive tone of her voice. "My name is C.C. I'm here to see Suzaku."

"Suzaku?" The girl looked worried for a moment, and then she asked, hesitantly, "is he in trouble?"

"Not particularly," C.C. said, noting the girl's pale skin. It was too pale for that of a healthy adolescent. "But he does owe me a favor. Do you know when he'll be home?"

The girl shook her head, slowly moving to get out of bed – a simple action that took her far longer than necessary. After glancing at the clock, she replied, "he should be back soon. Would you like me to get you some tea?"

Elevens were always so polite. This girl was probably dying, and here she was offering a perfect stranger something to drink. C.C. smirked and watched the girl hobble to the bedroom door.

"Tea would be lovely."

* * *

_Lawli: I know you're all wondering why Suzaku isn't in a skirt yet. Be patient... it's coming. 8D_


	4. Measurements

Lawli: Hey everyone, hope you had an awesome holiday season! I know I did! I didn't get the CLAMP artbook (-cries-) but I did get a lot of other nice stuff, and I hope all you guys got some of the stuff you wanted as well. I had fun time at Mizucon right after Christmas, even though I went for only a day; got a lot of pictures and met a bunch of Code Geass cosplayers.. so it was a good day! If anyone cares, I have a few pictures posted on my DeviantArt account (the link to which you can find in my profile, I'm pretty sure it's my homepage) featuring Kitty!Lelouch, Kitty!Suzaku, and me as Kitty!Rolo. Hehe.

_-w- easyenough asked if this was going to be a long fic or a short fic. I figured I would just let everyone know in my AN's that I have absolutely no idea. I'm kind of making this fic up as I go along, to be honest. I'm not planning for it to be TOO long, but it will definitely be at least 10 chapters._

_THANKS TO... **Loki lee, eMi to mAo 374, 2stupid, xxxCodeTsubasa, J Plash, Serena the Hikari of Love, UnratedCrimsonBlood, Stoic-Genius, -w- easyenough, poobaoger, 6-The-Cloaked-Nocturne-9, Suffocated Entity, Trishmeister, L Lexuran, Kay, mochiusagi, SnowLion no Miko**... FOR REVIEWING!_

_Without further ado, here's chapter 4!_

* * *

**_The Charlatans of Circumstance  
_**Chapter Four

Suzaku arrived home later than usual. The owner of one of the shops he ran errands for had made him make an extra few deliveries after store hours. The promise of several more dollars in his pocket was enough for Suzaku to agree to the task, though leaving Kaguya at home by herself so long did worry him.

"Kaguya," he called, stepping inside the flat and closing the door softly behind him. "_Tadaima_. I'm home." When in the safety of their house, he almost always spoke to her in Japanese.

"We're in the bedroom," Kaguya replied in English, causing Suzaku to blink.

_...We? _

After removing his shoes and placing them neatly on the mat beside the door, Suzaku made the short trek to the bedroom. The door was ajar and Suzaku could hear Kaguya speaking to someone.

"...He always works late," she was saying, and while she didn't sound upset about this Suzaku couldn't help but feel guilty.

Pushing the door the rest of the way open, Suzaku asked, "we have visitors?"

Indeed there were two people in the room – one of them obviously Kaguya, and the other a woman who also seemed very familiar.

Greenish-blonde hair, apathetic gold eyes... It was hard to forget a woman so different.

"You..."

_C.C_., his mind supplied, when Suzaku found himself on the brink of drawing a blank; an odd name to match her odd appearance.

"I'm flattered you remember me."

Suzaku didn't know what to say or do with himself. He would suggest making tea, but Kaguya must have done that already, judging by the two empty cups on the floor. "Um," he began lamely, shifting his weight to his right foot. "Thank you... for yesterday."

C.C. tilted her head to the side, clearly confused – or at least pretending to be. "Yesterday?" she replied.

Suzaku licked his lips, looking away from her. "Yeah, you know... for helping me." He hoped he wouldn't have to remind her of the pick-pocketing incident; Kaguya still didn't know anything about it and Suzaku intended to keep it that way.

"Oh," C.C. said. "Was that what I did?" She shrugged, as if not even realizing she'd let him go free without punishment. Suzaku gaped, speechless. C.C. paid him no attention. "Anyways, I didn't come here to listen to you thank me. There's something important I need to discuss with you, Suzaku Kururugi."

"W-with me?"

What on earth could she possibly wish to discuss with him? Maybe Suzaku had gotten it all wrong, and C.C. was actually there to punish him. The thought was a bit far-fetched; C.C. was a woman, Suzaku could easily overpower her if he so wished. Not that he ever would. Suzaku wasn't fond of violence to begin with, and couldn't think of any situation where he would willingly act violently toward a woman.

He deserved it, after all.

"...in private, Kururugi?"

Hearing his name, Suzaku jumped. "What?" he asked, flushing in embarrassment over having spaced out like that.

C.C. smirked and repeated, "can we talk in private?"

"Oh." Nervously, Suzaku laughed. He glanced in Kaguya's direction to find her nodding. "Of course," he said after a moment, retrieving the empty teacups before leading C.C. to the main room of the flat. "I'm afraid we won't have much privacy," he informed her as he set the cups in the kitchen sink.

C.C. took a seat at the small wooden table, and Suzaku joined her shortly afterward. "We can whisper," she said, her golden eyes locking on his face, studying his features.

Anxious under the heat if her gaze, Suzaku scratched the back of his neck and coughed loudly – hoping the sound would make C.C. stop her obvious staring.

It didn't.

"Look, um... if this is about last night—"

"You have a lovely bone structure," C.C. interrupted, making Suzaku choke on his own saliva.

"W-_what_?"

C.C. raised an eyebrow, finding his reaction humorous, no doubt. "I said, you have a lovely bone structure."

"I-I _know_ what you said!" Suzaku sputtered, cheeks red. "But what does that have to do with... with_ anything_?" Why would C.C. say such a thing – why was she even thinking about his _bone structure_, of all things?

"It has everything to do with what I wish to speak to you about." Noticing his lost expression, she elaborated. "You see," she said, setting an elbow on the table and gesturing toward Suzaku, "if you don't have the right build, this could never work out."

_This..? This _what_?_

C.C. smiled and stood up, motioning for Suzaku to do the same. Hesitantly Suzaku complied, the legs of the chair screeching in protest against the floor as he rose to his feet. He eyed C.C. warily as she began to circle him predatorily.

"A little tall," she commented to herself, taking hold of Suzaku's arm and extending it. Curiosity alone kept Suzaku from obeying his guy instinct to pull away. She pushed the sleeve of his shirt up, taking in the muscles of his arm and making a sound of disapproval. "We'll definitely have to keep clothing long-sleeved."

"U-uh – hey!" Suzaku gasped as C.C. began lifting his shirt up. A hot blush spread across his cheeks as he gazed at her incredulously. "What are you _doing_?"

C.C. sighed in exasperation. "As I've said, if you don't have the right build then this –"

Suzaku cut her off this time, his arms flailing as he cried, "_this_ – what on earth is _this_?"

C.C. wasn't listening to him. "What are your measurements, Kururugi? I'm doubtful any of your clothing wont have to be custom made, but it's worth a look. You may be able to squeeze into one of the girl's –"

"Stop!" Suzaku demanded, stepping back once he spotted her reaching for his shirt again. He held tightly onto the hem of his top to block her from raising it. Swallowing, he lowered his voice, not wanting Kaguya to overhear this embarrassing discussion (knowing that she most likely was eavesdropping and already heard the entire thing). "Can you _please_ tell me what's going on? Why you need my... my measurements?"

C.C. stared at him blankly. "For your clothing, obviously. You can't expect to wear _those_," she pointed at his faded jeans and yellow top, "as Lelouch's fiancée."

This was a dream. A very, very strange dream. Either that, or she had some kind of mental disease. Whichever the case, things were getting out of hand and Suzaku was becoming frustrated.

"Fiancée? What are you _talking_ about – who is Lelouch?" Unlike C.C., Suzaku couldn't put a face to this name, familiar though it sounded.

"You don't remember?" C.C. returned to the table. "You should, you only robbed him last night."

Suzaku called to mind the image of a skinny young man, doubled over from the exertion of running to catch a thief.

...That weakling?

"I don't think..."

"Lelouch was kind enough to let you off with just a warning. However, now he finds himself in need of a favor. Since you are, in a way, indebted to him, you have no room to refuse, Suzaku Kururugi."

Suzaku's emerald eyes were wide, shining with disbelief. Was this supposed to be a joke? "I'm not going to _marry_ the man!" he replied, cheeks flaming. "That's not even... that's not even legal!"

C.C. chuckled. "Who said anything about marriage?"

"But..." Suzaku's voice trailed off. He glanced in C.C.'s direction, completely confused,

Seating herself once more, C.C. crossed her legs and curled a strand of hair around her index finger. "You see, Kururugi, Lelouch's mother is a woman who would love nothing more than to see her son married. For years she's tried playing matchmaker for him."

To Suzaku, this didn't sound like an entirely bad thing.

"However," C.C. continued, "Lelouch has absolutely no desire to be wed. So in order to get his mother to stop her attempts at finding him a wife, he has decided to pretend that he is already engaged."

Suzaku was afraid to ask what he had to do with this plan. The sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach already told him the answer.

"...So what do you need me for?"

"I would have thought that was obvious."

Suzaku paled. "Why me? I... I'm a man! Shouldn't he... shouldn't he ask a girl to do it?"

C.C. shook her head. "No, that would never work. Lelouch doesn't wish to have a woman play the part; he's afraid she will only fall in love with him."

"Arrogant." Suzaku couldn't help it. The word slipped past his lips before he had the chance to stop it.

Again that smirk appeared on C.C.'s face. "Yes, I suppose he is. You're going to have to put up with it."

Averting his gaze to the floor, Suzaku spoke quietly. "And what if I..."

"Refuse?" she finished the sentence for him, laughing softly. "You can't. After all, you do owe him. And there is also the subject of payment."

At this, Suzaku's eyes lit up. "Payment?"

"Lelouch is willing to give you three hundred pounds per week, should you agree to act as his fiancé."

_Three hundred pounds... per _week_?_

But he would have to dress like a woman. Act like a woman, like... like another man's _fiancé._ That meant behaving affectionately in public; holding hands, embracing, possibly even kissing. The idea alone was mortifying.

_Three hundred pounds..._

_Three _hundred pounds_ per week..._

"Well?"

C.C. waited for an answer, though it was obvious what Suzaku would say. He couldn't decline; she already made that clear. And with the payment he'd be receiving, Suzaku wasn't even sure he wanted to decline the offer.

"If I do this," he said at length, "what will happen to Kaguya? Where will she stay?" Suzaku couldn't possibly leave her at the house by herself. She was almost sixteen, but she was ill and Suzaku didn't trust the neighborhood.

Contemplating this new dilemma for a moment, C.C. shrugged dismissively. "Take her with you, if you like. I have no problem with it. Does this mean you agree, though?"

Suzaku nodded eagerly.

* * *

"So... when did this happen?"

Their guests had long since left – all of them wishing Lelouch congratulations (the women doing so begrudgingly) on their way out – and Lelouch spent the first fifteen minutes afterward applauding himself for conjuring up such a brilliant plan.

The confrontation by his mother was expected, and honestly came a bit later than Lelouch predicted. His mother was furious, no doubt, that her rational son would do something so completely rash and unpredictable – and behind her back, no less.

A pleasant smile crossed Lelouch's face as he strode through the parlor alongside Marianne. "In Spain," he replied, beginning the story of how he met his lover – one which he'd formulated and memorized hours ago. "Barcelona, to be exact. We ran into each other – quite literally, I'll add – not long after my arrival. She was chasing after a cat."

It wasn't too far a stretch from the truth. Suzaku _had_ run into him – he'd just been after Lelouch's change purse instead of an animal.

He laughed fondly, as if recalling a wonderful memory.

Marianne's brow arched in silent question. "Chasing a cat?" she repeated, obviously not finding that the most dignified thing for a woman to be doing.

"Yes, she's tremendously fond of animals. Cats especially."

"I see. And...?" Marianne prompted.

Lelouch settled onto the white leather sofa, crossing one leg over the other. "I tried to help her catch it, but in the end it eluded us." This would not be hard for his mother to believe, as anyone who knew Lelouch knew of how he tremendously lacked stamina. "Afterwards, I walked her back to her hotel. She was staying close by, a block or so away from me. The next morning we saw each other again, and enjoyed a late breakfast together. We got along fabulously, and ended up spending as much time together as possible."

It was as generic a story as possible, which made Lelouch think it all the more believable.

Marianne eyed him suspiciously, and Lelouch prided himself for not even flinching as she searched him for some trace of a lie. His story was flawless, as were his acting skills; no matter how hard she looked, Marianne would never find even a semblance of the story's falsity on him.

Sighing quietly, Marianne joined him on the sofa. "I can't believe you never felt the need to tell me, darling. I'm so disappointed."

"I thought it would be a nice surprise. I know how long you've waited to see me with the right woman, mother, and I didn't want to tell you until you could indeed _see_ me with that woman."

Lelouch waited. It took a moment, but Marianne caught on to the real meaning behind his words rather quickly.

"She's coming here?" she gasped, violet eyes sparkling, her reaction on which Lelouch could not clearly discern as happiness or distress. "When?"

"Three days."

* * *

_Lawli:_ _No crossdressing Suzaku in this chapter. Sorry. But next chapter, I promise... ;3_

_As always, feedback would be appreciated! See you next chapter (which is already half written~)!_


	5. Female Etiquette

_Lawli: To make up for last chapter cutting off sooner than most of you would have liked, I've made this chapter a bit longer! Yay~ And as promised, Suzaku DOES wear a dress in this one. Two dresses, actually. ;]_

_THANKS TO... **xxxCodeTsubasa, L Lexuran, J Plash, 6-The-Cloaked-Nocturne-9, CrimsonUtopia, 2stupid, eMi-to-mAo 374, loki lee, Princess of Oblivian, Suffocated Entity, RangerInBlack, -w- easy enough, mikanchan94, nina-linda234, Serena the Hikari of Love, icarus923, Thoughtless7, mochiusagi, Ritsuka189**... FOR REVIEWING!_

_CHAPTER WARNING: Men wearing dresses. And looking damn fine in them. 8D_

* * *

**_The Charlatans of Circumstance_**  
-Chapter Five-

"All right, listen! I only have two days to transform you into a proper lady, so _pay attention_."

It was the day after C.C.'s proposal, and Suzaku currently sat in the spacious kitchen of C.C.'s home, just a floor above the brothel he just recently discovered she operated. Before him, donned in a maroon kimono, stood a busty woman with a shock of red hair and an attitude that said anything but 'proper lady'.

When C.C. first introduced Kallen Kōzuki (or Stadtfeld, as she went by in public) as his instructor in Female Etiquette, Suzaku hadn't thought she was serious.

Voicing this opinion aloud earned him a painful slap in the face, quickly teaching Suzaku that it was best to keep him thoughts to himself around the woman.

Kallen stood at the opposite end of the table, a ruler poised threateningly in her hand. She hit it against the tabletop whenever she caught him not paying attention – which was, admittedly, quite often.

Suzaku jumped at the loud _smack_, and sent Kallen an apologetic look that went ignored.

"Try again," she ordered.

Exhaling loudly, Suzaku poured himself another cup of tea, endeavoring to have all his movements look precise and delicate, while at the same time making sure that the liquid didn't slosh and that none of it dripped onto the tablecloth.

Kallen's eyes narrowed. "Say it."

He'd known that lessons in female etiquette were bound to be anything but exciting, but still... this was so tedious. He must have poured at least ten cups of tea by this point – probably more. Resisting the urge to growl, Suzaku turned to an imaginary person to his left. "Lelouch, darling," he spoke to the air in a voice an octave higher than normal, "would you like some more tea?"

Kallen cleared her throat. "Yes, Suzako dear. I would love some," she answered in her best impression of a 'manly' voice.

"Suzako?" Suzaku broke character and blinked at the name.

Kallen nodded. "Your new identity," she explained. "We figured it would be easiest to stick with something close enough to your own name. Just so no-one forgets."

"I see..." Suzaku's eyes rested on the tea he'd just poured. "So has _Suzako_ managed to successfully pour tea?"

Shrugging, Kallen approached his side of the table, leaving the ruler behind much to Suzaku's relief. "As good as she's going to get at it, I suppose. By the way, from now on you should only talk in Suzako's voice, so you can get used to it."

Suzaku groaned. "Do you have any idea how much it hurts to talk like that? My throat is killing me!" He wrapped a hand loosely around his neck for emphasis.

Kallen took hold of a teacup, raising it to her lips and taking a long sip. "All the more reason to get used to it."

As Suzaku was about to protest, he was interrupted by another female voice.

"Where is he?"

Kallen turned, grinning at the foreign-looking woman who leaned against the doorway, smoking a tobacco pipe. She was dark-skinned, with bleached blonde hair that touched down to the center of her back, and she carried herself with an air similar to C.C. – confidently, while seeming indifferent to the happenings in the world around her.

"Rakshata!"

The woman looked Suzaku up and down appraisingly, bringing a hand to her pipe and removing it from her lips. "Suzako?" she presumed, glossy lips smirking.

Suzaku flushed. "S-Suzak_u_, actually," he corrected her, not wanting to be referred to as his female identity unless he absolutely had to.

Rakshata acted as though she hadn't heard him, turning her attention on Kallen briefly. "Hope you don't mind if I borrow our little princess here?"

"No, go ahead. I can finish with him later."

"Good, good."

Rakshata motioned for Suzaku to stand and follow her. Obediently, Suzaku rose from his seat and trailed behind her. Upon entering the lounge, Rakshata wasted no time getting comfortable on the sofa.

"These are for you," she said, pointing with her pipe to the rather large pile of fabric on the opposite couch.

Cautiously, Suzaku approached the pile.

Petticoats, bodices, hoop skirts, frocks... all in a variety of colors and textures. Suzaku's face paled as he pulled a pair of white knickers out from within the stack of women's clothing.

"Is this," he held up the undergarments for Rakshata to see, "really necessary?"

Rakshata inhaled from her pipe, blowing a stream of smoke out languidly in Suzaku's direction. "All part of the act, sweetheart. Now try them on."

"But," Suzaku stuttered, "but these are _yours_!"

Rakshata was an unusually tall woman, standing an inch or so shorter than Suzaku if they were positioned back-to-back. As well, she was not overly curvaceous; instead, her body (discounting her breasts) seemed more boyish, what with her angular hips. It had been C.C.'s idea to have Suzaku try and fit into her old clothes. The suggestion seemed fine to Suzaku at first, but... no way was he going to wear used women's undergarments!

"I'm waiting," Rakshata drawled. "Throw an outfit together already."

Sighing in defeat, Suzaku did as told, picking out a white hoop skirt and matching white bodice embroidered with swirling blue designs. "How's this?" he asked, showing his choices to Rakshata, who nodded her approval.

"Go try it on. I'll be right here if you need me."

On the opposite side of the room, C.C. had been kind enough to bring out a screen for him to change behind. It didn't offer complete privacy, but Suzaku appreciated the notion nonetheless.

Pulling his shirt over his head, Suzaku discarded it carelessly. Soon afterwards followed his jeans and – begrudgingly – his undergarments.

Women's undergarments were surprisingly comfortable. Suzaku traced the lace covering his hip; he was shocked they actually fit him – but, then again, he and Rakshata both had similar narrow builds.

_This is so wrong,_ he decided once he realized he'd just referred to the lacy embarrassment as comfortable. _How could I actually agree to this?_

"Suzak_o_!" Rakshata prompted in her lazy voice, breaking Suzaku out of his thoughts.

Suzaku hurriedly pulled on the sheer white underskirt and then the wide, silky hoop skirt that he had trouble figuring out how he would fit through a door in.

The bodice proved much more difficult, as it laced up in the back. Suzaku stared at it, uncertain if it would even fit him. It looked painfully tiny...

"R-Rakshata," he called, poking his head out from behind the screen. The woman met his gaze and languorously rose from the sofa.

With Rakshata's aid, Suzaku managed to squeeze into the top. He held his breath, afraid that if he exhaled all the ties holding the bodice together would give out. Rakshata surveyed him, the tip of her pipe pressed contemplatively against her cheek.

"There's no way you can wear heels with that. Or anything else, most likely. You're already so tall... We don't want you towering over your groom, now do we?" Rakshata didn't wait for a response. "I'll find you something flat."

"How does he look?"

Kallen appeared in the lounge, demanding to see Suzaku. Taking another deep breath, Suzaku stepped out from behind the screen. Along with Kallen stood C.C. and Kaguya (who, up until that point, had been on a tour of the brothel with another of C.C.'s girls – against her cousin's wishes, of course).

"Suzaku!" Kaguya gasped, realizing something. "I mean, Suzak_o_!" A giggle escaped her. "You look so beautiful!"

It was not intended to be an insult... but it still felt like one to Suzaku, who blushed and crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

"Don't' stand like that," Kallen snapped. "You look like such a man."

"I am a man!" Suzaku reminded her, exasperated, hating this already when it had only just begun.

C.C. shook her head. "No, from now on you are Suzako. Remember that." She handed him a brown mop. "Here is your wig."

"Wig?" Suzaku took it from her. Indeed it was a wig, chocolate-brown in color with barely noticeable golden highlights to closely match his natural hair. It was medium-length and wavy, but smooth to the touch.

Kallen and Kaguya both helped him put the wig on properly while C.C. wheeled out a full-body mirror, and once he saw himself with the entire costume on, Suzaku had to admit... he really did look the part. Albeit flat-chested, he made quite the attractive woman.

"You know," Rakshata murmured, "if I were a man I think I'd fall for you, Suzako."

* * *

Suzaku was nervous.

For reasons he couldn't explain, he stood before the mirror in his temporary bedroom at C.C.'s home, weaving his fingers through the fibers of his wig fretfully. Anxious green eyes flitted around the room, coming to rest on the clock on the wall every now and again.

_6:45_. He'd be there any moment.

C.C. arranged for him to have dinner with Lelouch that evening, to ensure that a proper chemistry existed between the two of them. She insisted that if they didn't have chemistry – or, at the very least, couldn't _pretend _they had chemistry – the entire plan would fall apart. They intended to fool Lelouch's entire family – mainly his perceptive and ever-scheming mother – and in order to do so their act had to be flawless, the very picture of a young couple in love.

Catching his reflection in the mirror again, Suzaku sighed. He didn't know if he could do this. Dressing like a woman was one thing, but acting like a woman – like a woman in love, on top of that – was completely different. Suzaku was the type of person who wore his heart on his sleeve; lying did not come easily to him. How could he be expected to play the role of a complete stranger's enamored fiancé?

It wasn't even the fact that it was another man that bothered Suzaku. Sure, it embarrassed him to think about, but if it meant earning the money to pay for Kaguya's medicine Suzaku would do anything. What concerned Suzaku was the fact that he didn't know anything about this man. What type of person he was – if he was kind or cruel, even-tempered or hotheaded – Suzaku hadn't the faintest idea.

C.C., Rakshata, and Kallen each explained Lelouch in different ways.

Fascinating, C.C. believed.

Entertaining, in Rakshata's opinion.

Pompous, according to Kallen.

Out of the three separate opinions, Suzaku believed Kallen's easiest, only because of the haughty way in which Lelouch spoke to him during their first meeting. Then again, if the roles had been reversed and it was _his_ wallet Lelouch stole, Suzaku most likely would have acted in the same way upon catching the thief.

So Suzaku had no idea what to expect from his 'fiancé'. How would a fascinating, entertaining, pompous, and whatever else man act with the woman he was allegedly in love with?

A knock jarred him from his thoughts.

Suzaku glanced at the clock again, feeling panicked. Was it Lelouch outside the door? Would he just come up to a girl's bedroom uninvited – was he that type of man? Not that it even mattered if he was. They were both men; if Lelouch happened to walk in on him in a state of undress, he wouldn't be seeing anything new. Still... it was embarrassing. Would they have to share a room at the Lamperouge estate?

"Suzako?"

To his relief, it was Kaguya outside. He opened the door for her, allowing her inside. Her movements were slow as always, and he helped her to the bed.

"Shouldn't you be resting," he said, unable to keep the worry from his voice. She shouldn't be up and about like this – practically the whole day she'd been on her feet; it wasn't good for her.

Kaguya smiled. "This is far too exciting to miss out on," she replied, grinning weakly as her bright green eyes passed over him, taking in the gold satin frock adorning his body. "My tough-guy cousin is engaged now."

A blush colored his cheeks and Suzaku coughed. "Stop saying that."

But Kaguya didn't listen to him, as she was already prattling along about what she thought Suzaku's pretend fiancé would be like. "I hope he's not ugly."

Suzaku thought about Lelouch, and while he couldn't recall a clear image of what the man looked like he couldn't remember him being unattractive – not that he'd really taken the opportunity to get a good look at him; there had been more important thoughts in his mind at the time, like figuring out how to save his own skin.

"Does it really matter?" he asked her, closing his eyes.

"Of course it matters!" Kaguya insisted. "You don't want to have to kiss an ugly old man, do you?"

Suzaku's eyes snapped open, face darkening even further. He shook his head furiously. "I'm really hoping I don't have to kiss him at all," he admitted quickly, the prospect making his stomach churn unpleasantly.

Kaguya shrugged. "You may have to."

It was a truth Suzaku didn't want to presently face. He would cross that bridge when he came to it, and until then he would pointedly ignore it. "Let's not talk about it," he said.

"Fine," Kaguya agreed easily enough, making herself comfortable beneath the covers of Suzaku's bed. "You should get downstairs though, Suzako-_chan_. Your fiancé will be here any minute."

* * *

Lelouch drummed his fingers idly against the tabletop, violet eyes glancing impatiently in the direction of the kitchen's entrance every so often. His _fiancé _was late, and Lelouch wasn't pleased about it. Dinner had been arranged for the two of them by C.C. and a few other women, and while Lelouch agreed with the reasoning behind the dinner – for him and Suzaku to get to know each other, and make sure they could actually pull off acting like a recently engaged couple – he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

As he waited, he went over his schedule for the upcoming days. The next day was devoted to assisting his mother in preparing the welcoming party for his fiancé. His mother had insisted that such a party was an absolute must, and since his plan seemed to be moving flawlessly already Lelouch saw no reason to object. It gave all the more purpose to this dinner with Suzaku, though – if the Eleven even showed up, that is. From the looks of things...

The door to the kitchen opened, C.C. entering and facing him with the same infuriatingly disinterested look upon her face.

"Don't look so moody," she instructed him. "You're about to meet your fiancé. One would think you'd be happy."

"Does my fiancé even care to see me?" Lelouch replied, rolling his eyes skyward in clear agitation.

C.C.'s expression morphed into one of self-satisfaction, and she made a motion with her hand.

Lelouch straightened himself as the door opened, a brown-haired girl – or, what looked like a brown-haired girl – stepping inside. Violet eyes widened a fraction.

Suzaku was a far cry from the rumpled and petty thief he had been when they last met, the rugged clothes replaced with a fine golden dress, a silky wig in place of that coarse mop of brown hair, and expensive jewelry adorning his ears, hands, and wrists.

If he was to be honest, Lelouch would have to say... Suzaku looked rather stunning.

"I'll leave you two alone," C.C. spoke again, her words unheard by Lelouch, who continued staring at Suzaku in disbelief.

She left the room, and after her departure a silence settled over the two young men.

Suzaku tried to look poised, but couldn't help fidgeting with his hands. Lelouch watched the nervous movements, noticing Suzaku's hands had been powdered.

Suzaku cleared his throat.

Lelouch blinked, meeting Suzaku's emerald gaze and holding it briefly before shaking his head. "A dutiful wife would never be late for dinner," he pointed out as Suzaku padded over to the table, perturbed by the thoughts that were sneaking across his mind. This Eleven was nothing more than a pawn, not even a real woman; there was no reason for Lelouch to be so captivated by him, just because he wore such clothing.

Suzaku stood there for a moment, as though expecting something. Then, his emerald eyes narrowed a fraction and he seated himself opposite of Lelouch. "A gentleman would have waited to seat me," he countered in a voice much higher than Lelouch remembered the man speaking the other day. Of course, he should have expected it; Suzaku would have to disguise his voice while masquerading as a female.

Lelouch disregarded the statement to ask, "What do I call you?"

"Suzako," Suzaku answered. "Nagase Suzako."

"Very well, Suzako. Our food is getting cold."

Emerald eyes fell to the plates before them. "Sorry," Suzaku apologized quietly, reaching for the innermost fork on his place setting. Lelouch coughed to get his attention and he stopped, looking at the other man inquisitively. "What?"

"You start with the outer utensils," Lelouch corrected.

"O-oh. Right." Suzaku frowned in a way that clearly showed he still had no grasp on proper dining protocol and moved his hand to the smallest fork.

Dinner continued without further incident, Lelouch filling Suzaku in on aspects of their 'relationship' the other should be aware of: where they'd met and spent time together, how they became an official couple, etcetera. All the while Suzaku listened silently, intently, not raising any questions until the subject of Lelouch's proposal was brought up.

"I proposed to you the night before returning to Britannia, on the beach just before dusk. You accepted, and we made plans for you to follow me to Britannia several days after my arrival."

Suzaku didn't seem the least bit impressed by what Lelouch thought to be a perfectly amorous engagement story.

"Is there a problem?" Lelouch asked, frowning.

Suzaku took a sip from the glass of wine in front of him. "No, I guess not. It sounds very romantic. But..." He held up his bare left hand for Lelouch to see. "Where is my ring?"

Lelouch blinked. The ring... Of course, the engagement ring! How would anyone believe he'd proposed to the woman of his dreams if _Suzako _didn't even have a ring to show off? Shouldn't C.C. have taken care of this – she was in charge of Suzaku's transformation into his fiancé.

"You can wear one of mine," he answered at length, not about to run out and buy a diamond ring for a pretend lover.

"Thoughtful." Suzaku couldn't help the hint of sarcasm that dripped into his voice. Lelouch glared at him and Suzaku twirled a strand of the auburn wig around his finger in a manner that reminded Lelouch of C.C. "There's something else I want to ask," Suzaku said, his thin (recently plucked?) eyebrows knitting together.

"What is it?" Lelouch was no longer looking at Suzaku, but at his scarcely touched plate of food. Whatever answer he had been expecting, it was not the one Suzaku gave him.

"Payment."

A crease appeared in Lelouch's forehead in response to the word. "Excuse me?"

"Payment," Suzaku repeated. "C.C. promised me three hundred pounds per week should I partake in this little charade."

C.C. did _what_? Lelouch's hands clenched into fists. _Impudent woman... saying something like that, and without my permission_.

Realizing Suzaku was gazing anxiously at him, expression still one of determination, Lelouch shifted in his chair, crossing his legs to buy himself time. He'd been suspicious about why Suzaku was quick to agree to his plan, but he never would have thought C.C. would go as far as to bribe the Eleven with money.

...But it was C.C. whom he left in charge of reeling Suzaku in, and when it came to C.C. there was no such thing as rules or boundaries. He should have known she would resort to something like this.

It was too late to go back now, not with Suzaku firmly believing he would be rewarded for his help. Lelouch remembered the story of the young man's sick cousin; Suzaku was depending on that money.

Exhaling loudly, Lelouch picked up his fork daintily and stabbed a piece of meat with more aggression that he would have liked to show. "We'll discuss this matter at a later date."

* * *

"What are they doing?" Kallen groaned, removing her ear from the kitchen door and crossing her arms over her chest. "All they're talking about is the plan!"

"The plan is important," C.C. reminded her. "They need to make sure they're both on the same page."

She was right, Kallen knew. But still. "They should be trying to flirt with each other or something. How is _this _supposed to let us know if they have chemistry or not?"

"I think it's told us quite a bit," Rakshata said, rolling her pipe between her fingers.

Kallen snorted. "Yeah, like how they're a boring, unconvincing couple at best."

"Did you really expect Lelouch to be involved in an exciting relationship?"

Catching C.C.'s blank gaze, Kallen couldn't help but smirk. "Good point."

Rakshata inhaled from her pipe. "I don't think it's a lost cause," she started, tone thoughtful. "We have to remember, Lelouch and Suzaku are men. Stubborn, inexperienced men. Of course they're reluctant to act affectionately toward each other; whoever does so first will be viewed as weaker in the eyes of the other."

"It's their own fault then, if this plan fails. Not that it matters to me if it does."

* * *

_Lawli: Before I go, I want to address something that a reviewer pointed out to me from Chapter 2. _

_On 1-11-09, anonymous reviewer 'Wow' left the following comment:  
" "Not to say that he didn't find women attractive, because he did – he was very much a man in that aspect"  
I was starting to read this story then you put in this sentence.  
What the hell is up with this sentence? Are you saying that men that don't find woman attractive aren't real men, just because they are gay?"_

_I don't know if 'Wow' is going to come back and check out this story again, but I've already left a response to them in a review (they left no email, so I really had no other way to reply to them, unfortunately). _

_What I want to do is make sure that none of you think I meant gay men aren't real men. Because I definitely didn't. If I did, I wouldn't be writing a yaoi fanfic, right? _

_I'll try to explain why I wrote the sentence the way I did.  
I'll agree that the sentence can be taken as kind of insulting towards gay people, if you're looking for it, but that is not MY thinking, it is the character (Lelouch's) thinking, as that section of the chapter is mainly from his point of view. Speaking in generalities, men are typically attracted to women. In the sentence prior to this, C.C. indirectly calls Lelouch gay, and Lelouch (who has never before been attracted to a man, yet has found women attractive) - as I think most men who are assured of their heterosexuality - gets defensive. And obviously, it will become ironic that he thinks this way since, later on, he will fall in love with a man._

_I just wnted to make this clear to you all, in case anyone had feelings similar to 'Wow' after reading that sentence. If you did, I apologize! It wasn't my intention._

_Anyways, that's about it. Thank you for putting up with this ridiculously long author's note. ^^_

_See you next chapter!_


	6. Flirting

_Lawli: Two announcements!_

_Firstly: The amazing and wonderful **xxxCodeTsubasa** has drawn TCoC's first-ever fanart, and I must feature it here because I love it to bits! Follow the link to see it yourself (and leave her faves and comments!). It's of Suzako, and its very cute! ^-^ Thanks so much, Tsubasa, you're awesome! -hugs and loves and showers you with presents- 8D_

___http: / tsubasaholic . deviantart . com /art/ Suzako-109975459 (remove the spaces!)_

_Secondly: Some of you have mentioned wanting to see Lelouch in a dress in this story. So, I have currently have a poll in my profile of whether or not 'Luluko' should make an appearance! Please let me know your opinion by voting!_

_THANKS TO...** Miraploy, loki lee, Nodurne, -w- easy enough, Thoughtless7, L Lexuran, Suzanne, Princess of Oblivion, Suffocated Entity, mochiusagi, Candelabra, RangerInBlack, loveableneko, Ritsuka189, icarus923, LucifernSatan, fantasies4eva, DarkBombayAngel, Crispy Rice, TZ-Ish-My-Name, shatteredtomorrow., XenoKosMos, Mercy, mikanchan94, defianceobjectivity99, Serena the Hikari of Love, Chubby-King-Chocobo, and o0Checkmate0o**... FOR REVIEWING!_

* * *

**The Charlatans of Circumstance**  
-Chapter Six-

"So how did it go?"

Suzaku glared weakly at Kaguya, who smiled at him with curiosity he knew better than to take as innocent. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he answered her question with one of his own. Entering his room to find Kaguya still awake only added to his negative feelings about the evening.

Kaguya sat up, resting back against the headboard. "All I do all day is _sleep_. I'm not tired. And you're avoiding my question. How did it go?"

Exhaling loudly, Suzaku moved to the changing screen on the opposite end of the room. There was no point arguing with Kaguya; Suzaku knew this better than anyone. The girl was spoiled rotten, and perhaps that was Suzaku's own fault since he had the biggest hand in raising her and couldn't help meeting her every whim.

"It went..." Suzaku's voice trailed off as he tried to find a word that best described Lelouch and Suzako's first official encounter. He found the hidden zipper of the gold dress and pulled it down. "Decently," he finally decided after stepping out of the frock and throwing it over the top of the screen.

"Decently?" Suzaku couldn't see her, but he knew Kaguya was making a face. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

On a chair behind the changing screen, Suzaku found a plain white nightdress. He stared at it dubiously, wondering if he really had to wear women's clothing to _bed_ on top of everything else.

It was too late to complain now; Suzaku didn't have any of his own clothing with him (thanks in part to Kallen, who under C.C.'s orders had confiscated his bags shortly after his arrival).

"I don't know... I think I did fine," Suzaku admitted. The only folly he could recall was picking up the wrong fork at the start of their dinner. "Though I'm still not sure how to act with him. Lelouch, he's so..."

Kaguya interrupted him. "Is he handsome?"

Behind the screen, Suzaku blushed, wondering what it would mean if he answered that truthfully. Suzaku had no problem admitting to himself if he found someone – female or male – attractive; beauty, in his opinion, could be found in anyone, regardless of their gender... But Kaguya would tease him mercilessly for it, if she became aware of his true thoughts of Lelouch's appearance.

Because, if Suzaku was to be completely honest... Lelouch was a very striking individual. One might even go as far as to say perfect – what, with his willowy, graceful build, immaculate hair, and piercing eyes.

Never in his life had Suzaku found himself attracted _to_ another man... but, appearances alone, Lelouch embodied the very word attractive, and Suzaku would be flat-out lying if he even tried to utter otherwise.

To buy himself some time, Suzaku proceeded to change into his nightdress. While extremely comfortable, it was shorter than to his liking, reaching just above his knees in length. Nervously he tugged at the hem, displeased to find that the material didn't give even the slightest.

"I guess so," he finally said, thinking of Lelouch's glossy dark hair and brooding amethyst eyes. "He's pretty handsome."

Kaguya clapped her hands twice to show her excitement. "What's he look like?" she demanded to know next.

Suzaku removed the brown wig, which halfway through dinner started to make his scalp itch like crazy, and sighed contentedly. Realizing only afterward how that sigh might be taken by his cousin, he coughed loudly. "U-um, he's... He has black hair that's a bit longer than mine, and straight. And really nice eyes; they're purple, which is kind of unique. Um... he's about as tall as I am, maybe a little bit taller, but kind of scrawny."

Kaguya sighed dreamily. "I like him already," she said, and Suzaku frowned at the wistful tone of her voice.

"Well he's not all that great," he said quickly, very eager to point out the flaws he'd already taken note of in his pretend fiancé. "He's very arrogant, the type of guy who thinks he's better than everyone! And he's really hard to talk to, and he looks so serious all the time, it's unnerving."

To Suzaku, these all seemed like perfectly legitimate excuses for why his interactions with the other man had been – as he told Kaguya – _decent_, at best_._ Kaguya, on the other had, held a different opinion.

"Maybe you just need to try harder?"

Suzaku walked out from behind the curtain, trying to ignore the squeal of laughter from Kaguya once she noticed his choice of eveningwear.

"I think if he saw you in _that_, he might open up more," she teased.

Face flushing, Suzaku crossed his arms over his chest. "K-Kaguya!" he stammered. "It's nothing like that. I'd never agree to—"

"Alright, alright." Kaguya rolled her eyes. "I was only kidding. Lighten up, will you? This whole thing is making you so irritable."

Suzaku closed his eyes, wishing he could just _lighten up_. "It's just really hard, Kaguya. And Lelouch isn't making it any easier on me. I'm not even sure what he really expects me to do... how he wants me to act around him."

He motioned with his hand for her to scoot over and Kaguya complied, giving him space to lay down beside her.

"If he's not going to tell you, just figure it out on your own. Act like you're a girl in love."

Suzaku frowned, resting his cheek on the pillow and glancing up at his cousin. "But how do I do that?" he asked, hoping for her to impart some of her female wisdom onto him.

Kaguya stared back at him a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know. I've never been in love. But... it's different for every girl. You can act giggly and playful, or blunt, or shy, or hard-to-get. Find out which one suits Suzako more." Reaching down, she threaded her fingers through Suzaku's tangled brown hair. "I think what you really need to do is forget about _Suzaku_ for a while, and find out what kind of person _Suzako_ is. Once you do that, everything else should come naturally, you know?"

Suzaku understood, vaguely. He needed to stop looking at things from his own perspective, and instead see the situation from Suzako's point of view.

Suzako loved Lelouch – loved him so much that she would travel all the way to another part of the world just to be with him. Suzaku had to embody that devotion; with every move he made as Suzako, he had to show that complete faith and adoration.

...But with Lelouch as approachable as a brick wall, how could he?

* * *

The next day, in accordance with his orders (which came in the form of a note on his nightstand, signed by the shrews themselves: C.C., Kallen, Rakshata, and even Kaguya, whom they knew he could deny nothing), Suzaku donned an ankle-length, peach-colored skirt and the white blouse that went with it, as well as his wig and a pair of white open-toe flats.

As he stared at his reflection in the mirror, he made a resolution: he would put his all into this plan. If that meant _really_ acting like a woman, then so be it; he would have the girls teach him everything they knew.

Reaching for a tube of lip gloss on the dresser, he applied it to his mouth, and what was left of his machismo side shriveled up at the sight of the light shimmer it gave his lips. Smiling in determination, he reached for the peach hairpiece and wound it into his wig.

He _would_ pull of acting as Suzako.

Once satisfied with his appearance, he began his search for Kallen. Considering the size of the home above C.C.'s brothel, it didn't take long to find the woman. The first room he walked in to – that being the kitchen – he found her sitting before a bowl of untouched... _something_, flipping through a newspaper.

"What is that?" Suzaku asked with wrinkle of his nose as he pointed to Kallen's sorry excuse for a breakfast.

She glared at him from over the paper. "It's supposed to be oatmeal," she replied at length. Suzaku didn't bother to conceal his laughter as he took a seat opposite of her. She regarded him coolly. "You know, if you want something from me, this isn't the best way to get it, _Suzako-chan_."

Suzaku's laughter quieted down, his eyebrows (still sore from the torture of being tweezed the day before) raising in silent inquiry. "What makes you think I want something from _you_?"

Kallen made a show of rolling her eyes and folding up the newspaper. "Please don't talk like that; you sound just like your precious fiancé."

Kallen's apparent dislike for Lelouch was something both amusing and curious to Suzaku. While Kallen claimed to find Lelouch pompous and annoying, Suzaku didn't quite buy into her story. He didn't know the history between the two, but he doubted Kallen would help Lelouch with this ridiculous scheme of his if she didn't at least _like_ the man.

"Sorry," he apologized, reaching over the table and grabbing the rim of the bowl of oatmeal, pulling it towards himself. Cautiously, he picked up the spoon and tasted the lumpy substance, and Kallen's azure eyes widened in both surprise and disgust at the fact that he was eating from her plate – and with her spoon. "It's not that bad," he complimented.

"I never said it was. You jumped to that conclusion on your own." She paused to glare at him. "What, did you think I can't cook just because I'm not a housewife?"

Suzaku held up his hands defensively. "No, that's not what I meant at all!"

Kallen kept going, his words lost on her. "I bet you can't do any better, _missy_!" she accused.

To appease her, Suzaku agreed. "Probably not." Pushing the bowl back in Kallen's direction, he sighed. "Anyways... this isn't what I wanted to talk to you about."

Smirking, Kallen leaned forward. "So you _did _need something from me after all." Sheepishly, Suzaku smiled at her. "What is it, then?"

Suzaku pursed his lips, eyes lowering to the tabletop. "I..." Now that the time had come to ask for the favor, he found himself drawing a blank. What did he need from her, again? Wait, no, it wasn't anything _he _needed at all; Suzako wanted a favor from Kallen.

Switching over to the voice designated as Suzako's, he made his request.

"I need you to teach me how to flirt."

* * *

"Your first lesson shall be in Touch."

Suzaku sat on the couch, legs crossed at the ankle. In front of him, wearing a serious expression befitting of a teacher, stood Kallen.

"Touch is very important," she was explaining, "as it can allude to a multitude of different things – if you're feeling needy, longing for attention, or if you just want your space."

Suzaku about fainted when she proceeded to sit extremely close to him and slide her hand up his thigh. "K-Kallen!" he gasped, voice jumping to Suzako's octave naturally in his surprise.

Kallen sighed in exasperation. "Don't be so edgy; _you're_ the one who asked me for help! Now shut up, I'm trying to teach you something important."

"I doubt feeling him up will ever be necessary!" Suzaku cried. When he'd asked for instructions on flirting, he hadn't had anything physical in mind.

"Lelouch and Suzako are an engaged couple, and have probably been intimate with each other plenty of times," Kallen informed him. "You have to stop getting so embarrassed over little things like this."

Suzaku scowled. "It's not like we'll have to be that intimate in public!"

Raising an eyebrow, Kallen grinned, amused. "Do you have any idea who you're trying to fool here?" she asked. "Lelouch's mother is a woman who won't be satisfied unless she sees the two of you behaving, at the very least, affectionately. She'll _want_ the two of you to be publicly intimate."

Suzaku felt as though his heart had dropped into his stomach, and was now being eaten away by deadly acids.

Dressing like a woman... he could live with. The clothing was not as uncomfortable as he first imagined it would be.

Acting like a woman in love... he could try, no matter how hard it would be to convince people he was truly in love with a virtual stranger.

But being physically intimate with him?

Yes, he knew he would have to act somewhat affectionately – perhaps hold Lelouch's hand, or embrace him. And he agreed to flirt with him verbally. But this was entirely different... these people expected far more from him than Suzaku bargained for. That meant kissing, touching in ways that were borderline inappropriate outside of the bedroom.

Face reddening, Suzaku buried his face in his hands.

What had he done to deserve this?

* * *

"It's really not so bad," Kaguya assured him, running a brush through Suzako's wig to get rid of any tangles that may have formed throughout an entire day of use. "He could be ugly."

Suzaku looked at her, stunned by her one-track mind. "Is that all you think about?"

Kaguya smiled sweetly, setting the brush down on the dresser and returning the wig to its resting place atop a false head. "You have to admit it relieves you though, yes?"

He did not dignify her with an answer – partially because she was right, and he just didn't feel like acknowledging that. Instead, he reclined in the bed, staring up at the ceiling listlessly and losing himself in thought. It wasn't like him to be self-pitying, but at the moment he couldn't help it. Only when Kaguya started coughing fiercely across the room did he snap out of it and remember his purpose for agreeing to Lelouch's plan in the first place.

_Kaguya_...

Quickly Suzaku got out of bed and approached her, resting a hand on her shoulder and pulling her against him. She coughed against his chest, a hand in front of her mouth, though she tried to speak around it to tell him to let go.

"It's-it's fine... just a c-cough."

Suzaku led her over to the bed wordlessly and laid her down in the center of the mattress. After promising to return with a glass of water, he left for the kitchen.

The previous evening, Lelouch had pointedly ignored the subject of Suzaku's payment. At the time, Suzaku had been willing to let it drop, but next time he wouldn't. If Lelouch didn't intend to actually pay him, Suzaku would not hesitate to leave. He didn't need to be there, wasting his time and wounding his ego by parading around in women's clothing. So if the whole 'payment' thing turned out to be nothing more than a ruse to get him to agree to this ridiculous farce...

"—refuse."

Lelouch's voice, unmistakably. Had he just arrived?

Suzaku approached the closed door that led to the kitchen, pressing his ear against the polished wood to listen in on whatever conversation was being held on the opposite side.

"You can't," was the reply from who Suzaku recognized as C.C. "This was your idea."

"I know that!"

He didn't even know the man well, but Suzaku could picture Lelouch scowling in frustration, a hand fisted in his silky black hair; a soft laugh escaped him.

"I don't see what the big deal is." C.C. sounded bored, as though they'd had this discussion several times already.

"You know very well what the big deal is!"

There was a loud yawn, presumably from C.C.

"I expected more from you, Lelouch. You like to talk, but in the end you're nothing more than a virgin with a big mouth."

Suzaku's eyes widened at her bluntness. Now he knew exactly what they were talking about... and he couldn't help but feel relieved that Lelouch was just as hesitant as him about acting intimately. That didn't bode well for their plan, however, though Suzaku –

"_Oof_!"

The kitchen tile stung against his left cheek. Suzaku glanced up from where his face was planted on the floor to see C.C. standing with her hand on the doorknob, looking amused as ever.

"Good evening, Suzako," she greeted.

Flushing in embarrassment, Suzaku scrambled to his feet, hastily tugging down his nightdress to ensure it covered all of him. "G-good evening, C.C.," he greeted as Suzako, nodding to her and then to his 'fiancé' who sat at the table, in almost the exact pose Suzaku had envisioned; "Lelouch."

Giving a smirk as her only form of response, C.C. left the kitchen.

Lelouch's hand fell from his hair, though his posture did not relax in the slightest. He regarded Suzaku with an unreadable look in his violet eyes as the brunette slowly made his way toward the table. Suzaku fidgeted under the intense gaze, immediately at a loss for what to do. He knew what he should do – ask Lelouch straight away about the money, so he knew whether or not to even bother with this guise anymore. But the words wouldn't come to him, and the longer Lelouch stared the more uncomfortable Suzaku became.

To his horror, Suzaku found himself blushing. "What is it?" he finally found the voice to say, when nearly two full minutes passed and Lelouch refused to avert his gaze.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Lelouch's lips, and he gestured to Suzaku. "I'm just surprised by your state of dress. Have you no pride as a man?" There was a teasing edge to his voice that spurred a tremor of resentment in Suzaku.

Again Suzaku tugged down the nightdress, hating it even more than he did previously. Stupid C.C., forcing him to wear this ridiculous thing to bed. Realizing his anger was misdirected, Suzaku shook his head. This was all _Lelouch's_ fault. If the man would just grow a spine and tell his mother he didn't want to get married, they wouldn't be in this awkward situation; he wouldn't have to wear women's clothing all hours of the day (and night).

Eyes narrowing, he just about shouted at the other man to shut up.

But then an idea came to him, driven by C.C.'s words and the unique lessons he'd received from Kallen earlier in the day. Immediately he switched tactics, lowering his eyelids in a way Kallen told him looked sexy, and languidly approaching Lelouch's chair.

"I know it must embarass you," he said, now speaking in a huskier version of Suzako's voice as he loomed closer to his pretend fiancé. "Being a virgin, you must not be used to seeing so much skin."

A hot blush spread across Lelouch's face – whether caused by the taunt or the fact that Suzaku now stood incredibly close to him, Suzaku couldn't be sure.

Suzaku continued, unable to stop now that he'd elicited such a reaction. "But don't be so shy. _You _wanted _me_, after all... Lelouch." He bent his head to whisper the other's name in his ear, and was pleased by the way Lelouch jumped and pushed his chair several feet back.

"What do you want?" he snapped, trying to compose himself.

Suzaku smirked triumphantly, viewing this as a victory against his pretend fiancé. "I just came down to get some water for Kaguya," he replied honestly, backing away from Lelouch and moving instead to the kitchen cabinets, where after a short search he found a glass. "But since you're here..." He paused in front of the sink, filling the glass with water from the tap. "I want to talk to you about payment."

"Payment." Lelouch chuckled mockingly. "You _sound_ like one of C.C.'s girls."

Scowling at the insult, Suzaku turned to glare at him. "The only reason I agreed to do this was because I was promised the money. Now I want to know, do you have any intention of paying me?"

Lelouch consider him warily, but didn't say anything – which Suzaku took as an answer in and of itself. The brunette's fingers clenched around the glass of water, turning white at the knuckles from the force. Without a word, he turned on his heel and stalked in the direction of the kitchen's exit, fully intent of packing up and leaving right then and there. His cheeks burned in anger as he thought about the time he'd squandered – the time he could have spent actually working, earning money for Kaguya's medicine – learning ridiculous thing like _dinner etiquette_ and _flirting._

"Suzako."

Suzaku halted at the door, surprised to hear Lelouch speak, much less address him by that name. He turned to face the black-haired man, but his angry expression faltered once he saw the pleasant smile on Lelouch's face. It looked out of place, when directed at him, and Suzaku didn't know what to make of it.

"I'm a man of my word."

Suzaku blinked twice.

Did that mean...?

The question must have been apparent from his expression, for Lelouch gave a small nod of the head. Suzaku couldn't hold back the smile that spread across his face. He stood at the door, still shocked and overjoyed by the news, and didn't know what to say to Lelouch now.

"Thanks," he finally managed, and it sounded lame even to his own ears. "I really appreciate it."

Lelouch merely shrugged his shoulders and changed the subject. "I'll be here to pick you up tomorrow afternoon. Make sure you're ready to go."

Suzaku nodded quickly. "I will be, don't worry. Um..." he hesitated a moment, not sure if he should say anything else, before remembering the glass of water in his hand and his cousin who waited for him. "Goodnight, Lelouch."

"Goodnight."

* * *

_Lawli: I think I made Suzaku a touch OOC in that last scene. Apologies! ^^_

_Next chapter: Suzako meets the family. _


	7. Monster in Law

_Lawli: Sorry for the wait. I had the hardest time writing this chapter. D: And I'll promise ahead of time, Lelouch won't always be such a douchebag. Suzaku's putting him in his place this chapter. So he shouldn't seem so misogynistic from now on... ;p_

_And also a warning in advance. I won't be able to update for a while. My spring break is next week and I'm going to ITALY~ And while there I won't have internet acces. (The only downside. D: ) So sorry if it takes me a while to update again... Hope you all enjoy this chapter though!_

_THANKS TO... **YaoiOkami, Serena the Hikari of Love, Vermillion Lies, mnb, Unadorned, machined, random league, bloodlustphyco, neogoki, Cheese-kun, xxxCodeTsubasa, eMi-to-mAo 374, icarus923, , Arkaham, Candact, L Lexuran, Miraploy, mochiusagi, Suffocated Entity, CrispyRice, RangerInBlack, loveableneko, 6-The-Cloaked-Nocturne-9, wonderful, DarkBombayAngel, CrimsonUtopia, Trishmeister **... FOR REVIEWING!_

* * *

**The Charlatans of Circumstance**  
-Chapter Seven-

The ride to the Lamperouge Estate was, for the most part, silent. Suzaku, dressed in another of Rakshata's old gowns – this time, a green one with gold accents that, according to the blonde self-proclaimed fashion expert, really brought out his eyes – sat on the opposite side of the limousine as Lelouch, who hadn't said more than five words to him (those being: "are you ready to go?").

Kaguya, who had also been donated clothing by one of the more petite women in C.C.'s brothel, sat to her cousin's right, content with watching the cars and other buildings zoom by. They had entered a more upscale part of town. Cars became fancier, houses became larger and more spread apart; Suzaku found himself staring out the window in awe, pointing out things like horse-drawn carriages to Kaguya, who could barely contain her excitement.

"Wow, it feels like we're real nobility, Suzaku!" Realizing her mistake, Kaguya flushed and immediately corrected herself, "I mean, Suzako."

Suzaku smiled at her, wondering how she could be so at ease. They were only in the streets of an elite part of town and he felt out of place, unsure of what to do. It made him worry, thinking about how he was supposed to act when they actually arrived at Lelouch's home. Suzaku would be scared to touch anything in fear of breaking it. He tried telling himself not to be so panicky; it would only make his act all the more transparent.

Nevertheless, when the limousine passed the large iron gates of what had to be the Lamperouge Estate, Suzaku broke out in a nervous sweat, hands clenching in the material of his dress.

Lelouch must have sensed his anxiety (Suzaku didn't doubt that even the driver, who was separated from them by a black divider, could feel it), for he reached out slowly, settling his hand over one of Suzaku's. Suzaku swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I don't know if I can do this," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. And he'd been so sure of himself the night prior... what happened to all of that confidence?

Amethyst eyes narrowed, but Lelouch didn't say anything.

The limousine pulled to a halt, and Suzaku tore his hand out from underneath Lelouch's. Before he could say anything else, he found Lelouch kneeling on the floor in front of him, somehow threatening even below eye level.

"I'm not giving you the option of going back." Suzaku's lips parted, but Lelouch spoke first. "Remember why you're here." His amethyst eyes flickered over to Kaguya, who stared out the window still, admiring the many flowers planted along the driveway. Suzaku's followed, only to avert back to Lelouch when he noticed the other man moving. Lelouch reached into his back pocket, extracting a velvet purple box, which he presented to Suzaku. "Here."

Taking the box wordlessly, Suzaku waited for an explanation. Lelouch sighed and opened it for him, revealing a thin gold band with a single diamond, no more than a karat, in the center. Despite himself, Suzaku sucked in a quick breath of air.

"Don't get too excited. It's mine. I'll let you borrow it for now, but at the end of all this I expect it back."

Suzaku quirked an eyebrow at this display of trust, an uncharacteristic smirk forming on his face. "What makes you think I won't just take it and run?" he challenged. The ring was small, but it had to be worth a decent chunk of change. With it, Suzaku knew he could afford at least one treatment for Kaguya.

Removing the ring from the box, Lelouch slid it onto the appropriate finger of Suzaku's left hand. "You will return it to me," he said with such certainty that it made Suzaku want to steal it, just in spite of him. But stealing was what got him into this mess in the first place; remembering that was enough for Suzaku to change his mind and begrudgingly agree to hand it over when the charade-game ended.

The door of the limousine opened, the chauffeur's hand appearing to help the ladies out of the vehicle. Kaguya took the invitation first, followed by an uncertain Suzaku, who attempted to bow in gratitude – only to be stopped by his cousin's heel accidentally, or so she claimed, digging into his foot.

"Girls don't bow," Kaguya said under her breath. "Even if they did, remember your place. You could be the future lady of the house, you know."

Resisting the urge to massage his aching foot, Suzaku waited for Lelouch and their bags. Lelouch exited the limousine a moment later, offering his arm to Suzaku, who did not hesitate to take it.

"Our things will be brought in for us," Lelouch explained to her, waving his hand to the chauffeur to continue on before starting to lead his two guests up the cobblestone pathway to the front door. Suzaku turned to glance back at the driver, who had begun unloading bags from the trunk. "I expect one-hundred percent cooperation from you in this, Suzako."

Suzaku frowned. "I already told you, I—"

"Yes, I know you've agreed. I just want to make sure you play your part to the fullest."

"Same to you."

Lelouch ignored the comment. "My mother is a very keen woman."

"So I've been told..."

"If something seems off, in terms of our relationship, she'll notice right away. She's not... going to be easy to fool." Lelouch paused in his tracks, meeting Suzaku's eye. "There's a chance she may need a bit of convincing, so we... we..." his voice trailed off and Suzaku rolled his eyes at the dusting of color on his cheeks.

C.C. really wasn't lying when she accused Lelouch of being a virgin.

"I know," Suzaku saved Lelouch from the embarrassing task of explaining himself. "And... I can do that, if I have to."

Lelouch's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked.

Suzaku began walking again, tugging Lelouch's arm to get him to keep up. "I am also a man of my word," he promised. "And I told you I was committed to this. So I'll do what I have to. But..."

"But?" Lelouch echoed.

Suzaku wetted his lips, releasing Lelouch's arm. Bowing his head, his gaze fell to the floor. "I'm nervous."

They stood several feet away from the large oak doors. Lelouch turned to face Suzaku, eyes sweeping up and down his form, as though taking in his appearance for the first time. Then, to Suzaku's surprise, he smiled. "You'll do fine. You're..." he stopped to measure his words. "You're... good at the part."

Emerald eyes widened, Suzaku beginning to chuckle quietly. "I don't know if I should take that as an insult or not."

Lelouch crossed his arms over his chest, his attempt at sympathy thoroughly ruined by Suzaku's laughter. "It _was_ supposed to be a compliment."

Setting one hand over Lelouch's arm, Suzaku tugged on it gently, and when Lelouch begrudgingly took his hand the brunette smiled. "Thanks," he said quietly, finding that holding Lelouch's hand didn't really bother him as much as it had a few minutes ago.

The double doors to the mansion were pulled open, as if sensing their presence on the outside. Two men stood beyond the threshold, stepping aside and gesturing for them to enter, one of them offering to take Lelouch's hat. Lelouch declined and dismissed them.

To Suzaku, who was busy taking in his new surroundings, the inside of the mansion was just as intimidating as the outside, if not more so; what, with the heavy crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling and the black, white, and gold décor that made everything look expensive, fragile and irreplaceable. Suzaku gulped at the flag emblazoned with the Lamperouge family crest and held tighter onto Lelouch's hand as the sound of clicking heels met his ears.

"Lelouch, darling!"

Marianne Lamperouge, a vision in white, descended the staircase, her sleek back hair (which Lelouch obviously inherited) flowing behind her. Her red lips stretched upwards as she came to stand before them, disregarding Suzaku's presence for the moment to fawn over her son.

"You were running so late I'd begun to fear something happened to you," she said, tone morphing into a disapproving one as she continued, "or that you'd pulled another of your disappearing acts."

Suzaku shot Lelouch a questioning glance, which Lelouch responded to with a mere smirk.

"Mother," Lelouch said, stepping out of the embrace and grasping Suzaku's hand in his own once more, giving it a gentle tug. Suzaku obeyed the veiled command and approached, trying not to look so nervous as he curtsied politely. "This is my fiancée, Nagase Suzako."

Marianne blinked, her large violet eyes moving up and down Suzaku's body, sizing him up – to see if his appearance warranted her son's attention – before settling on his face, which she also scrutinized. "Suzako, hm?" she repeated, lips curved in a smile that didn't strike Suzaku as entirely friendly.

"It's..." Suzaku cursed himself for stammering, "it's an honor to meet you, Mrs. Lamperouge." Bowing his head a little, he focused on the floor, which was undoubtedly more comforting than Marianne's steely gaze. "Lelouch has told me so much about you."

"Has he?" Marianne said, eying her son briefly before setting her sights back on the brunette. "I'm afraid he hasn't said very much about you." Suzaku didn't know if this was supposed to be a masked insult, but he was sure that, had he truly been engaged to Lelouch, the comment would have offended him. "But that is my Lelouch, always so secretive. I'm delighted he actually considered his poor mother's feelings at all by allowing me to meet you." Again that thin-lipped smile returned. "You must be an amazing woman, Suzako, to have made Lelouch fall in love with you. Personally, I never thought it possible. Especially with a woman of your... well, background."

Suzaku's pleasant expression faltered. "E... excuse me?" he asked, incredulous, wondering if his ears were failing and he'd really just heard what he thought he heard.

"And this is Suzako's cousin, Kaguya," Lelouch's voice broke through the tension in the air. He motioned to the black-haired girl, who curtsied in a ladylike fashion that contradicted the glare in her eyes. Apparently she hadn't missed the racial slur, either. Lelouch did his best to ignore the scowls from both her and his pretend fiancé. "Kaguya lives under Suzako's care, so naturally she will be staying here along with Suzako."

"Naturally," echoed Marianne. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." She walked around to Lelouch's other side, taking his free arm. "Now then, enough standing in the foyer, it's hardly comfortable. The parlor is this way. I'll have Sayoko prepare us tea."

* * *

Tea was quiet, Suzaku looking completely out of his element in the finely furnished parlor with a delicate china cup in his hands, but every bit a lady with the way he crossed his legs at the ankle, kept his posture immaculately straight and took dainty little sips of his drink at long intervals. It wasn't the role of acting as Lelouch's fiancée that made him so uncomfortable anymore – rather, the aspect of being waited on by another person, and someone of Japanese descent, no less. It certainly made him feel out of place, and even guilty to sit there as Sayoko refilled their cups and wheeled in fancy trays of cucumber sandwiches and crumpets.

As they drank, Marianne asked questions every so often about Suzako's past – where she grew up, what brought her to Spain and into contact with Lelouch. Never the best liar, Suzaku turned to Lelouch for help often during the interrogation – for really, it couldn't be called anything else. Prior to that afternoon, Suzaku hadn't thought there could exist a pair of eyes more cool and calculating than Lelouch's, but now he knew exactly where Lelouch had gotten them from. Granted, Marianne softened the impact of her stare with the perpetual smile on her face, but the intensity was still there.

When tea time ended, Marianne had Sayoko show them to their rooms, insisting that if they were tired they better rest now, for she would not tolerate absence or tardiness at dinner.

Up the grand staircase, down a seemingly never-ending hallway, and one turn right brought them to the room designated as Kaguya's. One look inside the room showed that her luggage had already been brought and unpacked.

"Wow," the black-haired girl said in admiration of the wonderful service. She made her way over to the bed, running a hand over the silk comforter.

She then strayed from the bed, exploring other parts of the room, and Suzaku couldn't help but join her. To both their shock and awe, the room had a closet they could actually walk into and – even more amazing – it's own private bathroom, complete with a toilet, shower, and a tub big enough for at least two people.

Idly Suzaku wondered if every room in the house was this large. And he wondered how much money it had to take to make such a house with so many extravagant rooms even possible.

"Miss Suzako," Sayoko called from the doorway. "Allow me to escort you to your room."

Ceasing his marveling of the bathroom's granite countertops, Suzaku nodded wordlessly and followed Sayoko out the door. Kaguya opted to stay behind to enjoy her new bedroom – she'd just discovered the television set behind the doors of the bureau.

Back down that long corridor, and they took a left this time, stopping at the second door.

"Lelouch's room is directly across from yours," Sayoko explained, giving Suzaku a look he could only label as suggestive.

Despite himself, Suzaku blushed and averted his gaze to the floor. Lelouch, he noticed, did the same.

With a soft chuckle Sayoko pushed open the door to his room, which was just as big – if not bigger – than the one given to Kaguya. Like in Kaguya's room, Suzaku found his clothing already unpacked and the suitcases stored away. Tilting his head back, he took in the two-tiered chandelier, watching his own reflection in the glittering crystals.

Amazing. Amazing, how wealthy the Lamperouge family must be.

If only he really was a woman and could marry into this; he would never have any problems ever again. Not that Lelouch would ever get married; that was the whole cause for his being there to begin with.

"Thank you, Sayoko," Lelouch's deep voice snapped Suzaku out of his thoughts. "That will be all."

The servant bowed lowly to them – Suzaku had to fight the urge to return the sign of respect – reminded them that dinner was at five, and took her leave. As the door closed softly behind her, Lelouch rounded on Suzaku.

"So, what do you think?" To Suzaku's chagrin, there was an arrogant smirk on his face that made him want to insult the house somehow. Unfortunately, he could find absolutely nothing to criticize. The Lamperouge Estate was, truthfully, breathtaking.

Suzaku sat down on the edge of the bed. "It's," he began, toeing off his shoes, "extravagant."

Lelouch raised a dignified brow and approached, taking a seat beside him. "Is that good or bad?" he asked.

"Both," Suzaku replied easily enough, elaborating once he caught sight of Lelouch's prompting gaze. "I mean, it's beautiful and all but... isn't it a bit much? What do you need all this space for?"

Lelouch scoffed. "You say that because you come from a shack in the ghetto."

Suzaku glowered. He wondered how Lelouch could try and comfort and reassure him one moment – as he had when they were outside the Estate – and then say such rude things to him the next. Which Lelouch was the real Lelouch? This arrogant one, or the blushing virgin he'd seen outside and the night before?

"I hope you don't intend to always act this way with me."

Lelouch blinked. "How do you mean?" he replied, and Suzaku shook his head, exasperated.

"I mean it will be very difficult for me to act like I'm in love with you if you continue to have this attitude that you're better than me." Amethyst eyes widened and narrowed almost simultaneously, becoming hard with the anger that settled over Lelouch at the comment. Suzaku paid him no attention. "You may have the big house, the expensive clothes, the servants that wait on your every beck and call – you may even be the man in this so-called _relationship_ of ours – but you are_ not_ better than me, Lelouch Lamperouge!"

Suzaku was surprised by his own outburst. He was never the type of person to speak his mind like that, in a way that might insult others, but damn it, Lelouch really needed to be knocked down a peg, especially if he wanted Suzaku's full cooperation in this.

A startled cry escaped him as he suddenly found himself on his back, Lelouch hovering over him with an iron-like grip on his wrists. There was an unattractive scowl on his pale face.

"Think what you want, but this is my house and you are my fiancée, _Suzako_. And if you ever want to receive you're payment, you'll learn to accept that I have the upper hand here."

Growling, Suzaku used his strength to flip them over. The folds in his dress parted as he straddled Lelouch's waist. With one hand, he pinned Lelouch's arms above his head. "I can walk away from this right now, Lelouch. I don't need this, and I certainly don't need you! I could find another way to get that money if I had to, but _you_... _you're_ the one who needs me."

Lelouch squirmed underneath him and Suzaku pressed against him more forcefully, earning a short groan in response.

"Get off of me," Lelouch ordered, his face becoming red as Suzaku only leaned down closer to him.

"Say it," Suzaku countered, lips curving upwards at the flustered appearance of his pretend fiancé. Words apparently were useless against Lelouch, but physicality... _intimacy_... those were the most effective weapons at Suzaku's disposal, and he had every intention of using them now that he knew they made Lelouch so terribly uncomfortable.

Lelouch growled, but fell still underneath him, apparently willing to give in if it meant Suzaku would get off of him. "Say what?"

Lips hovering mere inches above Lelouch's, Suzaku whispered, "say that you need me."

Amethyst eyes flitted to the side, avoiding contact with the brunette at all costs, which only heightened Suzaku's amusement. This disconcerted reaction from Lelouch almost made Suzaku forget all his hostility toward the other man. Again, he wondered which side of Lelouch was real.

Lelouch's lips moved, but no sound came out. He sighed, warm breath ghosting over Suzaku's jaw and neck, making him shiver involuntarily. "I... need you," he tried again, voice barely audible.

Suzaku grinned, feeling distinctly victorious now that he'd successfully turned the tables. "Say it again," he instructed. "This time, say my name. And say it like you mean it."

Lelouch glared at him but did so anyways. "I need you, Suzako."

Suzaku's squeezed his thighs against Lelouch's sides. The blush on the other's face darkened. "Who?" he asked, outright teasing Lelouch now.

"_Suzaku_," Lelouch ground out, teeth clenched. "I need you, Suzaku."

Satisfied, Suzaku released Lelouch's wrists and got off of him. "Remember that," he said, standing up from the bed and adjusting his dress.

Lelouch sat up and immediately straightened his own clothes, pointedly looking away. "We're going to be late for dinner," he said, folding his arms across his chest and walking out the door without waiting for Suzaku to follow. "Change and meet me in the hallway in ten minutes."

Still smirking triumphantly, Suzaku eyed him from where he stood in the doorway, face stilled flushed. "Of course, darling."

* * *

_Lawli: I love Suzaku. 8D_

_Sorry Marianne's a bitch._


	8. Arthur

_Lawli: I'm back from Italy! =) I had a lot of fun, wish I was still there, but sadly I had to return to the real world. Oh well. An upside is that I did manage to write two chapters for this fanfic on the plane ride home! I also came up with two new ideas for multi-chaptered Code Geass (SuzaLulu) stories! Yay~_

_Sorry if things in this story seem like they're moving really quickly. But... romantic comedies generally call for a fast pace. I just hope I'm writing it believably enough. Sometimes I doubt myself. lol_

_Anyways, on to chapter eight!_

_WARNING: Shounen-ai (light malexmale) at the end of this chapter._

_THANKS TO__**…**__**LucifernSatan**__**, **__**animehamster**__**, **__**loki lee**__**, **__**Vermillion Lies**__**, **__**icarus923**__**, **__**eMi to mAo 374**__**, **__**Trishmeister**__**, **__**machined**__**, **__**Bligy**__**, **__**mochiusagi**__**, **__**DarkBombayAngel**__**, **__**L Lexuran**__**, **__**bb-s**__**, ^Mel-Bimbo^, **__**YaoiOkami**__**, **__**Suffocated Entity**__**, **__**Murasaki Anima**__**, **__**RangerInBlack**__**, A, **__**Serena the Hikari of Love**__**, **__**nequam-tenshi**__**, **__**calmxbeforexthexstorm**__... FOR REVIEWING!_

* * *

_**The Charlatans of Circumstance**_  
-Chapter Eight-

Suzaku had expected a large number of people to be invited to the little get-together hosted by Marianne. From what he'd gathered over tea, the woman didn't like him – for what reason, Suzaku couldn't say, though he was fairly certain it had to do with the fact that he was of the Numbers – and so was probably going to try intimidating him into leaving. Even with this presumption, he was unprepared for the throng of people that bombarded him and Lelouch at the base of the stairs.

Friends, distant family members – anyone Marianne Lamperouge had ever met, Suzaku wagered – gathered in the home (which, amazingly, was big enough to fit them all without seeming overcrowded), all dressed as if attending a grand ball.

Suzaku glanced down at his loose turquoise dress and felt suddenly and irrationally self-conscious. Lelouch even wore a suit, complete with a black bow-tie, his hands covered by impeccable white gloves.

"You could have told me to dress nicer," Suzaku said as they made their way through the mass of guests – having to stop every few seconds for someone to pass on their congratulations.

Lelouch looked him up and down. "What's wrong with what you're wearing?" he asked, frowning.

"It's too informal."

Lelouch shrugged, attempting to appear as if he didn't care and didn't think Suzaku should either, but from his expression Suzaku could tell he agreed. Still he tried to reassure him. "You're fine. Don't worry so much."

But it did worry Suzaku. For some inane reason, he was afraid of being judged by the clothes he had on. The other women were probably laughing at him for not dressing appropriately. Shouldn't he know better, after all? Or maybe they were placing the blame on Lelouch – it was his duty to inform his fiancée of the protocol of attire for these dinner parties, after all, and he obviously hadn't.

"I didn't think it would be such a fancy thing..."

"There they are!"

It was Marianne's voice, undoubtedly, that interrupted him. Turning around, Suzaku caught sight of the woman standing several feet away with two others roughly her own age. They approached slowly, Suzaku able to feel each of their eyes boring into him.

"Lelouch, you remember Mrs. Ashford."

Lelouch smiled and took Mrs. Ashford's hand, kissing it like a true gentleman. "Of course." Facing Suzaku, he began the obligatory introductions. "Suzako, meet Mrs. Geneviève Ashford." Suzaku performed an impressive (in his opinion) curtsy for the trio. "And this is Mrs. Sarah Fenette. Mrs. Ashford, Mrs. Fenette, this is my fiancée, Nagase Suzako."

"What a lovely couple you make," Geneviève commented with a bright – sincere, compared to everyone else's – smile.

Sarah made a humming noise in the back of her throat. "Yes... quite lovely. Unique. My congratulations."

"Lelouch," Marianne said, placing a hand against her son's cheek. Suzaku frowned. "Have you seen Shirley yet?" Not even giving Lelouch the time to respond, she continued. "She's absolutely stunning tonight, darling, you can't miss her."

This piqued Suzaku's interest. As any fiancée would when hearing another woman's name brought up, he inquired, "Shirley?"

Lelouch appeared disinterested. "An old friend."

"They were sweethearts," Sarah Fenette interjected. "That is, before he left for Spain. We had all hoped they would wed upon his return but... I suppose it was not meant to be."

The statement was designed to frighten him, without a doubt – make him jealous, suspicious of Lelouch's feelings for him and for Shirley. Since Lelouch had never even mentioned the woman, however, Suzaku saw no cause for alarm. Though he supposed that any ordinary woman might feel mistrustful, Suzaku did not want Suzako to be taken as that sort of woman. She was a product of his imagination as well as Lelouch's; therefore Suzaku had every right to mold her personality to his liking – so long as that personality didn't clash_ too_ much with that of his pretend fiancé's.

So with a pleasant smile, Suzaku met Sarah's smug gaze. "I would be lying if I said that is unfortunate," he said, watching her eyes widen and jaw slacken the tiniest bit – enough for him to know she found his words brazen. "For if things had worked out between them I would not find myself with the pleasure of having Lelouch's affection."

Suzaku could feel Lelouch's eyes on him now as well, but didn't face him just yet. Although he was curious to know Lelouch's reaction to his response, it could wait until they'd gotten farther away from the crowd.

None of the women said anything, albeit the only one who looked as though she wished to admonish him was Sarah Fenette. Marianne was as unreadable as her son, and Geneviève seemed amused by Suzako's display of character.

Curling his fingers around Lelouch's upper arm firmly, Suzaku bowed his head at the three politely. "It was an honor meeting you."

Lelouch followed his lead and bid the women farewell before walking away with Suzaku.

Only when they were out of sight did Suzaku lift his gaze to meet Lelouch's. The other's expression was neutral and his eyes fixed straight ahead, but the slight upward curve of his lips let Suzaku know he wasn't angry.

"That was good," he finally whispered, and Suzaku allowed himself a triumphant smile. "I don't believe I've ever seen Mrs. Fenette so appalled."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Good, it was meant to be."

They stopped before a table of sweets, which Suzaku stared at longingly. "Are most Britannian women that way?" he wondered, reaching for a creampuff and popping it into his mouth happily.

Lelouch watched him chew, his face as usual giving nothing away. Suzaku swallowed and then hesitantly licked a smudge of cream from the corner of his mouth. It was then that Lelouch finally directed his attention elsewhere. "Most of them," he answered honestly. "Perhaps now you can understand my reluctance to even pretend marrying one of them."

Suzaku picked up an éclair next. "Yes, but... I thought it was more of a surprise factor than that."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Suzaku didn't say anything and, affronted, Lelouch snatched the éclair out of his grasp. "What do you mean?" he asked again.

Crossing his arms over his chest in an almost defense stance, Suzaku answered him slowly. "I'm not stupid, Lelouch. Your mother is very prejudice against Elevens. But that doesn't surprise me; most Britannians are."

"Now who's prejudice?" Lelouch interrupted with a roll of the eyes.

Suzaku shrugged his shoulders, unable to deny the claim; he was what the world taught him to be. "What surprised me was that you would use my nationality for your own gain. As an Eleven, you know I don't have many options when it comes to making money. And as an Eleven, you knew your mother would automatically hate me."

"What does it matter to you?" Lelouch scoffed, making Suzaku realize how worked up he was getting over this – his heart rate having even increased. Really, why should it bother him that Lelouch had done this intentionally? It shouldn't; it shouldn't at all, and yet...

Suzaku looked resolvedly at his shoes. "It doesn't. Never mind."

* * *

Suzaku heaved a sigh as he walked through the garden, grateful for the opportunity to finally be alone. Up until this point, the night had been a non-stop performance on his part as he made small talk with friends and relatives of the Lamperouge family. He'd met a few of Lelouch's siblings – and it amazed him that there were even _more_ whom he had not met – and Milly, the only daughter of Geneviève Ashford, who was a sweet (if slightly devilish) young woman and one of Lelouch's oldest friends.

For the most part it hadn't been difficult acting as the woman he and Lelouch (but mainly Lelouch) dreamed up, though it was tiresome, especially when Lelouch decided to not make it easy for him by intentionally mentioning some special skill of Suzako's – such as sewing, or cooking – that in reality Suzaku knew very little about.

Twirling a strand of the long wig between his fingers, Suzaku continued down the cobblestone path, admiring the arrangement of flowers that had been planted by one of Lelouch's sisters (Suzaku couldn't remember exactly which of them). Now that he was alone, he allowed himself to slouch and his heels to drag a bit as he walked. It felt good to actually move like _Suzaku_. He'd only been masquerading as Suzako for a few days, but already he found himself wondering how much longer he would have to keep the act up. Lelouch never told him the amount of time they would have to carry out the charade.

More than anything, Suzaku feared he would have to remain as Suzako permanently. After all, Lelouch was trying to convince his mother and the rest of his family that he was marrying someone. His fiancée couldn't just disappear out of the blue.

What was Lelouch planning?

Lelouch... Suzaku didn't even want to be thinking about him right now. Desiring a break from his act wasn't the only reason Suzaku sought out the gardens. Ever since their conversation at the pastry table, Suzaku hadn't been in the mood to deal with the other male. Now that he thought back on it, Lelouch hadn't even done anything wrong. It did upset Suzaku to learn that his race was one of the main reasons Lelouch wanted him to act as his pretend fiancée. But the way he reacted... Lelouch was right, it shouldn't really bother him. He was used to being discriminated against in far worse ways than this. This was nothing.

But still... He felt like he'd been tricked, deceived somehow. And it made him wonder what Lelouch really thought of him – did he view Elevens in the same light as his mother?

"Meow, meow..."

Suzaku blinked, halting mid-step as he heard the voice. It was soft, feminine, and Suzaku knew he'd heard it before.

"Meooow! Meow, meow, meow..."

Curious, Suzaku followed the voice to a small clearing in the garden where the path widened to encircle a stone fountain. Kneeling beside the fountain in an elegant green dress was a young woman with brilliant pink hair the likes of which Suzaku had never seen. Euphemia Lamperouge, he remembered; Lelouch's half-sister. Suzaku had seen her briefly earlier in the evening, and hadn't expected to run into her again.

Sitting not even two feet away from Euphemia was a disinterested looking grey cat.

Suzaku approached the pair, the short heels of his dress shoes clicking against the ground and causing Euphemia to pause in the middle of meowing at the cat again. When she caught sight of him, she smiled brightly and rose to her feet.

"Hello," she greeted happily.

"Hi." Suzaku cleared his throat, almost kicking himself for failing to use Suzako's voice. "Hi," he tried again an octave higher.

"Suzako, right?" Euphemia giggled. "I don't think we ever got the chance to properly introduce ourselves." She held out her right hand to him and, after a moment, Suzaku gently grasped it in his own. It was small, delicate – the way a woman's should be, unlike his own larger, calloused hands. "I'm Euphemia, Lelouch's sister. But please call me Euphie. Everyone does."

Smiling, Suzaku shook her hand. "Nice to officially meet you, Euphemi— Euphie," he corrected himself.

She released his hand to gesture at the cat. "And this is Arthur," she explained, and the cat yawned noiselessly before rolling onto it's side so that it faced away from them.

"He's..." Suzaku searched for good word to describe the animal. He and cats didn't particularly get along well, so thinking of a non-vulgar adjective for the cat was a bit of a challenge. "...Cute," he finally decided, because it was... from a safe distance.

Euphemia walked back over to the fountain, taking a seat on the ledge of it. Arthur stretched out at her feet. "My brother tells me you're fond of cats," she said.

_Of course_, Suzaku thought wryly.

Suzaku approached cautiously. "Yes," he replied, grateful at least that she'd revealed this to him before he slipped up and said just how much he disliked them. Arthur raised his head and began hissing at him and Suzaku heeded the warning. "But I can't say they share the sentiment."

Laughing quietly, Euphemia shook her head. "I'm sure that's not true. Arthur here is just stubborn... much like his owner," she added as an afterthought, a coy smile playing on her lips. "But you've managed to tame one of them."

"Huh?" Suzaku blinked and glanced at Arthur, who was now standing as he continued to hiss.

"Arthur is Lelouch's pet," Euphemia explained after catching his confused expression. "Really, I think he's even more stubborn than Arthur, so if you can get him to like you I'm sure you can do the same with Arthur!"

Suzaku lowered himself onto his knees, extending his hand peacefully toward the cat. "Maybe," he agreed reluctantly, green eyes watching as Arthur padded closer to him, movements graceful like his owner's. Arthur sniffed Suzaku's hand, tilting his head to the side contemplatively, and Suzaku allowed a tiny smile to cross his face. As he was about to pat Arthur on the head, the cat suddenly opened his jaws and clamped down on the skin between Suzaku's thumb and index finger. Yelping, Suzaku immediately wrenched his hand away, bringing it up to survey the damage. Four little teeth marks were imprinted in the flesh.

Suzaku shot Arthur a nasty glare.

From her perch on the fountain ledge, Euphemia laughed.

* * *

Dinner was served promptly at seven-thirty. A long table in the center of the main dining room seated family members and close friends. More distant relatives and acquaintances were divided among smaller tables in the attached second dining room. Lelouch sat to the right of his mother, who as per usual ruled at the head of the table, and beside him Suzaku, who had been unusually quiet ever since their discussion at the pastry table.

Lelouch knew he'd upset Suzaku – how, he wasn't quite sure, for he'd believed Suzaku to have tougher skin when it came to his race – but he hadn't apologized for doing so. And it wasn't even out of spite so much as genuinely not knowing what to say. For Lelouch, who'd always prided himself in being good with words, being unable to summon those necessary to apologize to Suzaku was frustrating, to say the least.

"Little brother."

Lelouch bristled visibly at the title, as he always did. This earned a deep chuckle in response. Schneizel, one of his step-brothers, stared at him from across the table, concern etched in his blue-violet eyes. Schneizel was a large man, having inherited his father's solid frame, so when he said 'little brother' he did not only allude to the gap between their ages.

"Why so upset?" Schneizel was saying. "Here you are with your beautiful fiancée... one would think you'd smile for once."

Beside him, Suzaku moved his head, staring in a way only he could think of as discreet. Lelouch fought down his amusement by remembering Schneizel expected an answer from him.

"It's none of your business," he replied sharply.

Schneizel's lips formed a thin line. He said nothing more to Lelouch, instead setting his sights on the brunette next to him. "I sincerely hope my brother isn't always so irritable in your presence, Miss Suzako. If he is, I apologize on his behalf."

Lelouch was about to tell his sibling off when a soft clinking sound caught his attention. It started off quiet, but grew louder with each passing second. With a quick glance around the table he could see guests tapping their silverware against either their glasses or their plates. The source of the disturbance was one Milly Ashford, who had risen from her seat beside her mother and was grinning mischievously.

"I would like to make a toast to Lelouch and Suzako. I wish them every happiness; Lelouch as my oldest friend, and Suzako as the poor woman stuck with him."

There were several chuckles, from Suzaku included. Lelouch merely bit back an aggravated groan.

"And now as a tradition," Milly paused to once more tap her knife against her plate. "I must insist that the lovely couple share a kiss in front of us all!"

Lelouch's apathetic expression faltered, face blanching as he stared, aghast, up at Milly. Milly only winked. The sound of tinkering silverware grew louder. Out of the corner of his eye Lelouch could see Suzaku attempting to sink right through his chair.

Well... he couldn't say this came as a huge shock. He knew someone would want to see real intimacy between them, and being such a romantic – and such a troublemaker – Milly Ashford was the prime candidate for being the instigator of said intimacy.

Lelouch took his time rising to his feet, and once he stood completely he offered his hand to Suzaku, who hesitated before taking it and standing as well. They faced each other, Suzaku looking just as nervous and embarrassed as Lelouch felt. This, at least, comforted him; he wasn't alone in his anxiety.

Gingerly he placed his free hand against the side of Suzaku's face, a typical starting position for it to be during a kiss, or so he'd witnessed from observing many other couples. Before sitting down to dinner, Lelouch had removed his gloves, and so could feel the warmth of the other's skin when he touched him. Suzaku's skin was softer than it appeared. He'd expected his cheek to be rough, like the pads of his fingers were, but it was smooth to the touch and not at all unpleasant.

Drawing Suzaku's face closer, Lelouch watched him swallow hard and wondered what thoughts were going through his mind before sliding his lips over Suzaku's own.

For some inexplicable reason, a shiver that felt absolutely nothing like disgust (like it should) crept down his spine. A blush spread across his cheeks at the realization that he actually enjoyed the feeling of kissing Suzaku, and he had to force himself to tear his mouth away.

Sneaking a glance at Suzaku, he saw the brunette equally as flustered, and it relieved him to a certain extent. Those seated at the table began to cheer (with the exception of Marianne and Sarah, who only clapped politely), and as Lelouch lowered himself back into his chair only two thoughts remained in his mind:

This was completely wrong, and:

He wanted to do it again.

* * *

_Lawli: Muahaha. I love Milly._

_More shounen-ai next chapter. Just so ya'll know._


	9. Nightmare

_Lawli: This chapter is shorter than I intended it to be. D: But every time I tried adding more it just didn't sound right. Hopefully next chapter will be longer._

_THANKS TO**...DarkBombayAngel, animehamster, nebulia, calmxbeforexthexstorm, Bligy, Suffocated Entity, Vermillion Lies, bloodlustphyco, Murasaki Anima, icarus923, jing, eMi to mAo347, 801-chan, RangerInBlack, CrispyRice, loki lee, mochiusagi, bb-s, hpets, Closet Chocoholic, dawnferra, irulezuall, L Lexuran, me, deadaydreamer, Mayumi Nakashima, loveableneko, Arkaham, black knight145, Shinku Anrui...** FOR REVIEWING!_

* * *

_**The Charlatans of Circumstance**_  
-Chapter Nine-

_The dress Suzaku wore was pink, like Euphemia's hair and the flowers planted by the garden at his younger sister Nunnally's insistence. Such a pretty color, made even brighter and more magnificent thanks to the rich tan of Suzaku's skin. It was made of silk, which meant it had to be expensive. But it tore very easily._

_One decisive tug from Lelouch made the fabric tear, creating a wide slit along Suzaku's leg, exposing more and more as Lelouch continued to pull at it. The dress unraveled, useless scraps of pink falling to the ground, until Suzaku stood almost naked in a pool of silk._

_A blush colored Suzaku's cheeks as he wrapped his arms around himself, shielding his body – almost completely visible through the white underskirt – from view. Lelouch would have none of that. Gently he lowered Suzaku's hands to his sides, noting they felt softer than he remembered, like a real woman's hands. _

"_Lelouch," Suzaku gasped as the hem of his slip was pushed up. He tried to turn his face away, to hide his embarrassment from Lelouch, but the gentle touch against his cheek kept him from doing so. _

_Lelouch kissed him without warning, causing Suzaku's body to freeze in surprise before relaxing against his own, willing lips parting to allow the kiss to deepen. It was so much sweeter than he remembered, Suzaku's lips tasting of the deserts he'd eaten at the dinner party – creampuffs, as well as something like honey that had to be a flavor entirely unique to Suzaku. _

_Those hands that seemed so unlike unusual slid up his chest, feeling Lelouch through the thin shirt he wore. Lelouch sighed against Suzaku's mouth._

_Somehow they reached the bed and Lelouch broke the kiss for the brief amount of time it took to lower Suzaku down onto the mattress and cover his body with his own. Suzaku's arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer, and he whispered something in his ear that Lelouch couldn't quite make out. _

"_What?" he asked, a frown on his face as he leaned back. Suzaku stared up at him with that same triumphant smirk he'd had after their meeting Sarah Fenette. All of the sudden, Suzaku was on top of him, his legs on either side of Lelouch's hips and the slip bunched up around his upper thighs, revealing just enough to leave the other male with a significant ache and a yearning desire to touch him. _

_Grasping his shoulders, Suzaku roughly shook him. "I said, wake up!"_

And Lelouch did.

With a sharp gasp he bolted upright in bed. There was sweat along his brow, the air of the room far too cold against his heated body, making him shiver. His bed sheets had been kicked on to the floor at some point in the night but Lelouch felt as though they were clinging tightly to him, stifling him.

When he tried to move he became aware of an ache between his legs.

Violet eyes widened to an almost impossible degree, Lelouch drawing in a slow, shaky breath as one of his hands drifted down to hesitantly feel the hardened flesh, as if to convince himself this wasn't a part of his dream.

"A-_ah_!" he hissed, a bolt of pleasure shooting through him in reaction to the touch. Quickly he tore his hand away, curling his fingers into the pillow to keep them from venturing back to his erection. He refused to touch himself. It was undignified enough that he'd awoken in such a state (he pointedly ignored the dream that caused his arousal for the time being, too disturbed to even go near it at the moment); he would never resort to finishing the act himself.

At the same time, however, he couldn't just wait for it to go away on its own. Not only was he unsure of how long that would take, but it was also certain to be a lot more unpleasant than other methods.

Moving his lower body as little as possible, Lelouch reached for the telephone on the nightstand, pressing the star key that directed him immediately to Sayoko's private line.

"Master Lelouch," the servant greeted respectfully, "good morning. Would you like me to bring you your tea?"

Lelouch held back a groan as, with his free hand, he struggled to retrieve the blankets from off the ground. "Not just yet, Sayoko, but thank you." He grinned triumphantly as he grasped the edge of the sheets and in one swift movement managed to pull most of them back onto the bed. "I was hoping you could run me a cold shower."

"Cold, master Lelouch?" There was a grin in Sayoko's voice, as if she knew something he didn't.

"Yes, cold," he all but snapped in reply. "That will be all."

He hung up the phone without waiting for her to say anything else, all but throwing the receiver back onto its holder as he gingerly lowered himself down onto the bed. The second he closed his eyes an image of Suzaku drifted into his mind. His already swollen member throbbed. Lelouch's eyes flew open and he glared, both amazed at and disgusted with himself.

Something was wrong with him. Seriously wrong.

* * *

Lelouch spent almost an hour in the bathroom. His problem went away after not even three minutes in the water (Sayoko hadn't just made it cold, she'd made it positively frigid – to the point where Lelouch yelped the instant he stepped into the tub). The rest of the time Lelouch spent half-submerged in the bath, going over his dream and trying to make sense of it, as well as thinking of an excuse for it.

By the time he got out of the bath some forty minutes later he'd decided it was Suzaku's fault.

Suzaku acted too flirtatious, too comfortable with the intimacy they were forced to share as a part of their act. Suzaku said things that were suggestive, wore dresses that could make any man's imagination wander. Suzaku was the one who straddled him on the bed the previous day in an attempt to assert dominance in a relationship that was supposed to be strictly professional (with Lelouch as the superior).

Lelouch pointedly ignored the fact that it was because of him that Suzaku did all these things.

Because it was Suzaku's fault.

Lelouch stared at his reflection in the mirror. He shook out his hair, brushed his teeth. Applied a dab of cologne to the underside of his jaw.

Suzaku's fault.

* * *

Unfortunately by the time he reached the dining room he found Suzaku already there. He had been hoping to avoid the brunette for at least a little while, until the images from his dream weren't so vivid, but it couldn't be helped. Lelouch took in a deep breath before making his way to his seat. The long dinner table from the previous evening was gone now, replaced by a far more adequately sized one fit to seat six. Suzaku occupied the second chair to the left. Lelouch made a point to ignore his stare and sit across from him.

A newspaper lay between them, along with several plates of food. Lelouch reached for it.

Suzaku, realizing he was being ignored, frowned. "Good morning," he said, an offended edge to his voice. When Lelouch only mumbled something in response, Suzaku narrowed his eyes. "Sleep well, _darling_?"

The word darling made Lelouch raise his eyes briefly from the newspaper and glance at the brunette. Suzaku's thoughts were easy enough to read by his expression alone:

_Don't start this again._

Suzaku made it perfectly clear he wouldn't tolerate any attitude on Lelouch's part; Lelouch didn't feel the need to repeat that particular lesson (although, Suzaku's body over his own felt rather nice – no_, no it didn't_).

"Sorry," he apologized quickly. "No, I... I didn't sleep well." That was a complete lie; he'd slept almost too well.

Suzaku nodded in sympathetically. Lelouch couldn't understand how the brunette could switch moods so sporadically. "I was a little nervous," he admitted, and Lelouch raised an eyebrow.

"Nervous?"

"Yeah." Suzaku's cheeks flushed. "It's so much nicer than what I'm used to, I felt uncomfortable. And this morning taking a shower – I tried not to touch anything; I was afraid I would break something."

From the sound of it, he'd tested out the bath tub. Lelouch tried not to picture Suzaku naked in a pool of warm water, but... in the end, he couldn't help himself. Yet again disturbed by his lack of self control, Lelouch shook his head.

"I see," he replied after clearing his throat. "Well I'm sure you'll figure it out. You have a lot of time."

Emerald eyes lowered to the table. "I guess..." Suzaku pushed a plate of food towards him next, changing the subject. "Croissant?"

Lelouch took a marmalade croissant from the platter just as Kaguya entered the dining room, still donned in a night dress – which, both men noted, was a great deal more modest than the ones given to her cousin.

"Good morning, love birds!" she greeted happily, looking as if she felt a great deal better than the day before, when her cough had worsened to the point Suzaku refused to let her attend the dinner party. "Sleep well?" Lelouch was about to give her the same answer he'd given to Suzaku but she spoke over him. "Didn't sneak into each other's rooms, I hope?" She winked at her cousin, who blushed darkly.

"K-Kaguya!" Suzaku sputtered. "Stop saying things like that!"

"Yes," Lelouch agreed without hesitation, face red as well – though probably for an entirely different reason than Suzaku. "It's highly—"

"improper," Kaguya sighed. "I know. I'm just teasing. I like seeing Suzako's reactions. Are there chocolate ones?"

She was pointing to one of the plates. Suzaku pushed it toward her without a word and she gladly searched through the croissants until she found a chocolate-filled one.

"Good morning!"

Euphemia stepped into the dining room, smiling brightly as she seated herself beside Suzaku. "It smells delicious in here. I hope you enjoyed your first night, Suzako," she added politely. "I hope it wasn't terribly hard for you to adjust here?"

Suzaku blinked. "It's... a little difficult." Euphemia nodded her head, having expected so. "But the house is very beautiful; I love it. Of course," he sent Lelouch an endearing smile, "I'd be happy staying anywhere, so long as I was with Lelouch."

Lelouch's eyes widened, surprised at how Suzaku had thrown himself entirely into the act. He swallowed the lump in his throat, realizing only then how the words – as untrue as they were – affected him; he forced a smile in return, reached across the table and grasped Suzaku's hand.

Kaguya giggled.

"You two are so sweet," Euphemia commented with a glance between the pair. There was an emotion in her voice that Lelouch wasn't accustomed to hearing: sadness. But when she spoke next it was gone, making Lelouch wonder if it had even been there to begin with. "Lelouch, what are you and Suzako planning for the day?"

Planning? Lelouch hadn't given any thought to activities he and his pretend fiancée could do together. Really he wouldn't mind parting with Suzaku for a while so he could clear his head of those ridiculous thoughts of the brunette.

Euphemia continued without an answer from him. "You should show her the city," she suggested. "Maybe a carriage ride?"

Lelouch frowned. "I don't think-"

"That sounds like fun," Suzaku interjected. "I've never been on a horse-drawn carriage."

Hearing this, Euphemia tilted her head to the side, lips pursed thoughtfully. "Really? I thought my brother said that was one of your first dates?"

Suzaku met Lelouch's eyes in a silent plea for help and Lelouch coughed loudly. "It wasn't much of a carriage ride," he explained. "Poor Suzako hadn't been feeling well that afternoon."

"Right," Suzaku followed his lead. "I felt so terrible, but I just couldn't enjoy it; I had to ask Lelouch if we could get off."

"That's too bad. Lelouch, you have to take her now!"

Lelouch laughed softly, relieved at having avoided the potential disaster. Thankfully Euphemia was not the smartest of his siblings. If it had been Schneizel or anyone else he didn't think he'd be able to get away with the lie.

"I will." He smiled at Suzaku. "I will."

* * *

_Lawli: -sigh- again, my apologies for the shortness._

_Question! Anyone attending NarutoTrek this weekend? X3 Let me know~_


	10. Date

_Lawli: So... I really didn't mean for it to take this long to update. But the last few weeks of school were really busy, between projects, exams, and the play I was in. I wanted to write, but I neither had the time nor the inspiration. But luckily, I'm officially done with school, and my inspiration magically came back to me. Can't say I didn't have help. I pestered a lot of friends into giving me ideas for this chapter, so a big thank-you to them - they'll know who they are. ;P And also listening to the Code Geass OST also provided inspiration! Especially the song "Le Repos Du Guerrier". I imagined that song playing in the background for most of this chapter, but the last scene in particular. Try and find it if you can, it's fun (though I can't remember when it ever played in CG. I'm re-watching episodes now trying to find it! haha)._

_Oh! Before you read the chapter, I'd like to ask you all to recommend some good anime for me. Since it's summer, I need something new to watch to take up free time. lol Any suggestions? _

_Anyways, I won't keep you much longer. Just to say one more thing: OMG 200+ REVIEWS!_

_Seriously, when I saw that I about had a heart attack. Thanks a bunch, you guys. I'm so glad you're enjoying this silly story so far, and I hope it continues to entertain you. -hugs and love and chocolates for all!-_

_THANKS TO...** DarkBombayAngel, animehamster, Vermillion Lies, Arkaham, Crispy Rice, KirsMahai, Ace Clandestine, RangerInBlack, mochiusagi, L Lexuran, loki lee, emi to mao 147, hpets, bb-s, Mayumi Nakashima, loveableneko, xxxCodeTsubasa, Suffocated Entity, Diana Prince, Spotty, megumi natsuyama, Ten, Helen Nayke, MezuiroSnow, Candelabra, Serena the Hikari of Love**... FOR REVIEWING!_

_Warnings: Boys in dresses, boys kissing boys, and those cliché romantic moments that we all love._

* * *

_**The Charlatans of Circumstance**_  
-Chapter Ten-

The carriage was white with a gold trim, and a white hood that was drawn up to block out the sun. The seat, made of genuine leather, was meant for two people, though Suzaku felt rather squished having to share it with Lelouch. While this closeness was something couples probably enjoyed, being practically glued to Lelouch's side made Suzaku uncomfortable, and judging by the light blush on his pale face, Lelouch felt the same way.

Suzaku couldn't say it wasn't an interesting experience, though. This was definitely the best way to see the city; faster than walking but still more open than a car. Since the carriage was not completely closed off, a light breeze played against his face as it moved down the street, sending the gentle curls of Suzaku's wig fluttering behind him in a way that, to a bystander, probably made him look very pretty.

Two horses – after eagerly asking the coachman, Suzaku learned that their names were Lancelot and Vincent – drew the carriage through the park, and the steady _clop_-_clopp_ing of their hooves against the pavement was soothing.

A carriage ride through the park... it felt like a real date. If he was to be completely honest, Suzaku would admit to being the slightest bit flattered. Lelouch didn't have to do this for him, after all. The deal was that they had to act like they were engaged while in the presence of Lelouch's family and friends, and right now they were around neither. There was no reason for him and Lelouch to be spending time with each other, but they were, and Lelouch had even paid for the buggy the entire afternoon. Of course, Suzaku had tried to insist he pay, because he hated to feel indebted, but Lelouch silenced him with a huffed, "_with what?_" and Suzaku learned not to complain anymore, because doubtless this wasn't the sort of thing Lelouch did for just anyone (and it only made him wonder all the more, why was Lelouch doing it for _him_?).

"Um... Lelouch?"

The addressed, who had been quiet ever since they climbed onto the carriage half an hour ago, raised his head and turned his violet eyes on Suzaku.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, causing Suzaku to flush and quickly look away, embarrassed.

Suzaku fiddled with the lace trim of his dress. "Not _wrong_, per se," he replied, eyes staring intently down at his lap. "It's just... there's no-one around to see us right now."

Lelouch blinked, the subtlety lost on him. "And..?"

Suzaku bit down on his lower lip, hating to say this out loud, because he shouldn't question anything – not when Lelouch was being so kind to him. "And-and so I was just wondering why you have your hand on my leg!"

The words came out in a rush, and it was indeterminable if Lelouch actually understood any of them, but Suzaku was just proud he managed to get them out. Lelouch's eyes followed the line of Suzaku's gaze, settling on the brunette's left thigh where his hand was indeed resting.

"O-oh." Lelouch's cheeks were aflame as he hurriedly retracted his hand and attempted to put some distance between them. Unfortunately, the small chair didn't allow for that. "Sorry."

There was something about the tone of his voice that made Suzaku feel guilty. He couldn't pick out what it was, exactly, but it made his chest (his heart? No, that was silly) ache.

A silence that was far less comfortable than the one Suzaku interrupted before fell between them. Lelouch had his head pointedly turned away from him, his cheeks still a light shade of red, and Suzaku couldn't help but sigh at the perfectly good atmosphere he'd wrecked.

There was only one way to solve the problem, and Suzaku was not too proud as to disregard it. He was already wearing a dress on a daily basis, and just the previous evening he'd been all but forced to kiss the man next to him in front of a dinner table full of guests; a little display of affection like this wouldn't kill him. It wasn't as if Lelouch's hand on him felt _bad_, it had just been kind of... weird, unexpected since they were essentially alone (the carriage driver didn't count, as he didn't seem to be paying attention to them and sat far enough in front of them to not pick up the few words whispered between the pair).

Before he could convince himself not to, Suzaku sidled up beside Lelouch and reached out, taking a hold of his hand without a word and returning it to its earlier perch on his thigh.

Lelouch's head turned towards him, once again blushing full-force. "Suzako—"

"Don't say anything," Suzaku interjected quickly.

Thus, the ride continued in silence.

And Suzaku didn't know when it happened, or which one of them did it, but somehow their fingers ended up interlaced. Suzaku did not mention it, and thankfully Lelouch didn't either. When they did finally dismount from the carriage later that afternoon their hands were still adjoined.

* * *

Suzaku had to hand it to Lelouch; he did know how to treat a girl to a memorable date. And even though he wasn't a woman, he was still impressed (so impressed, that maybe he was even a bit resentful, that Lelouch could do such things for a date if he wanted to). A romantic carriage ride through the park and downtown, followed by a late lunch/early dinner at an upscale restaurant, at which he was told he could order anything he liked.

He stared at the menu uncertainly, not knowing what half of the dishes even were since they were listed in French and also a little bit put off by the large numbers next to each of them. "Are you sure?" he asked, frowning. There was no way he could allow Lelouch to pay for him, not when every item on the menu was so expensive. Even the side dishes were in the double-digits. Lelouch could afford it, he knew, but still... Suzaku would have rather they ate somewhere less ritzy, that had meals he could actually pronounce.

"I wouldn't offer if I wasn't sure," Lelouch pointed out with an over-dramatic roll of the eyes. "Pick whatever you want."

Suzaku could hardly believe that these words were coming from Lelouch. He'd been so arrogant before, and now he seemed like an entirely different person. Was it because they were in public? No, even when they were alone in the buggy Lelouch had been acting different. Suzaku couldn't say he _minded_ the change – Lelouch was actually agreeable for once, and Suzaku found he was enjoying being in his company – but still... he had to wonder the sudden cause for it.

"Lelouch." Suzaku set his menu down, frustrated that he couldn't make sense of anything but the prices. "Can you... order something for me?"

Lelouch tilted his head to the side, brows furrowed slightly in confusion. Then it dawned on him and he gave an apologetic smile. "What kind of food do you like? I'll try and find something similar." His eyes scanned the_ hors d'oeuvres_ of his own menu. "To start, there's escargot, gougeres..."

Suzaku waved one of his hands to stop him. "I'm not too picky, anything's fine. Just so long as it's not expensive."

...Lelouch seemed to take that as a blow to his ego – like Suzaku was insinuating he couldn't afford it. So when the waiter came around, he proceeded to order the most expensive items he could find for both himself and his date.

Still as egotistical as ever. Green eyes glared at Lelouch from across the table, any thoughts that he had changed disappearing from Suzaku's mind.

"You're a jerk, you know that?"

Affronted, Lelouch adjusted the lapels of his suit and matched the intensity of Suzaku's gaze with his own. "Don't insult the man buying your dinner, Suzako. I'm trying to be kind."

Snorting, Suzaku crossed his arms over his chest in a way that didn't make him appear very ladylike at all. "You're not being kind; you're showing off!" Lelouch only smirked, and Suzaku then realized why Kallen's dislike for him was so great. Pompous little prick... Well, forget it, he wasn't about to give in and stroke Lelouch's ego. Abruptly, Suzaku stood up from the table. "Fine. Order whatever snooty dish you want. I'm getting some air before I completely lose my appetite."

He walked briskly away from the table, not stopping even as he heard Lelouch calling out his fake name.

The restaurant had two levels, the upper level connected to a balcony that gave a wonderful view of the town at sunset. Sadly, Suzaku wasn't in the mood to enjoy it. He leaned against the railing overlooking the town, wishing he could get out of the dress he was wearing. It felt so stifling all of the sudden, and the wig made his scalp itch like crazy.

At the other end of the balcony there was a band playing slow music. Beside them, a dance floor where several couples had already gathered. Suzaku eyed them with what may have been envy. They all looked so carefree and in love... Suzaku's lifestyle didn't exactly allow him much time for romance, not with all the work he had to do to take care of Kaguya's health. And now he was in this pretend relationship with Lelouch... he couldn't exactly go out in search of his soul mate while dressed as a woman.

_But still_... Suzaku sighed loudly, closing his eyes. Wouldn't it be nice to fall in love? To find that person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with?

"What's a pretty lady like you doing out here by yourself?"

Emerald eyes snapped open at the sound of the familiar voice, Suzaku quickly turning around to face someone he neither expected nor wanted to see.

_Dr. Bradley...? _

He was about to say the name out loud, but then he remembered that, as Suzako, he was not supposed to know who this man was. So instead he feigned a look of bewilderment, taking a step away from him as he asked, "excuse me, but... do I know you?"

Bradley shook his head, wearing the same lecherous smirk as when he'd suggested the other methods through which Suzaku could pay him for Kaguya's medicine. "No," he answered honestly, taking hold of Suzaku's wrist and guiding it to his mouth. Suzaku grimaced as the palm of his hand was kissed in what may have been a gentlemanly fashion, had it been done by anyone else. "However... I would like to get to know _you_, miss."

"A-ah, I..." Suzaku wrenched his hand away, cradling it against his chest. He had nowhere to run to; Bradley had him cornered against the balcony. "I don't think my fiancé would approve of me getting to know another man," he said, hoping the mention of a fiancé would deter Bradley. It didn't. Of course it didn't; this was _Bradley_ he was talking to.

"Fiancé?" he repeated, taking a quick glance of their surroundings. "I don't see your fiancé anywhere."

"He's inside," Suzaku said quickly.

Bradley's eyes glinted in amusement as he caught Suzaku's wrist again and tugged on it gently, pulling the brunette flush against him. "Well, my lady... what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

This was _not_ happening to him! The day had been going so well, and then Lelouch had to bring him to this stupid restaurant – damn him, this was entirely his fault, like every other problem in Suzaku's life. Lelouch and Bradley, were they plotting together to make Suzaku's life miserable or something, because currently they were tied for being the bane of his existence.

If only he didn't have to act like a woman... Suzaku would have been more than happy to give Bradley what he deserved – that being a swift kick in the groin. As it was, he could only struggle weakly against him, the heel of his shoe catching in a crack on the floor and causing him to trip as he tried to take another step away from him and sending him into Bradley's arms instead. Bradley gave a hearty laugh, his lips close to Suzaku's ear. Suzaku shuddered.

"Suzako!"

Suzaku's head jerked upwards, eyes searching frantically over Bradley's shoulder to find Lelouch standing at the entrance of the balcony. There was an expression on his face that Suzaku had never seen before, and Suzaku didn't know if he dared to label it as what it looked like... _jealousy_.

With a glare on his face that made Suzaku a bit nervous Lelouch stalked over to the pair, grabbed hold of Bradley's elbow and forcefully shoved him back.

"You don't get to _touch_ her."

The rough edge to Lelouch's voice sent a pleasant chill racing down Suzaku's spine. He sounded... he sounded dangerous. Suzaku had never before pictured Lelouch as capable of hurting anyone – he seemed far too weak for such a thing – but at that moment... Lelouch looked nearly ready to kill... and _for_ Suzaku.

An annoyed scowl appeared on Bradley's face; he looked the new arrival up and down, as if gauging whether or not he was a threat, before seeming to decide that he wasn't. "Oh? And who are you to tell me this?"

Lelouch encircled a possessive arm around Suzaku's waist, drawing him closer. Unbidden, a blush rose to Suzaku's cheeks and he tilted his head downward, hoping the strands of his wig blocked it.

"I'm her lover."

_Lover_.

It sounded so... intimate. Why would Lelouch choose that, above fiancée? _Fiancée_ Suzaku could handle hearing as something to describe the relationship they forged. But _lover_... that was much more personal. Suzaku... Suzaku...

... Suzaku liked the sound of it.

"Let's go."

Before Suzaku even realized, he was being led away from Bradley and towards the dance floor.

"Forgive me." Bradley's voice made Suzaku stop in his tracks. Lelouch glanced down at him, frowning. "The lady looked so lonely, not at all like a woman in love."

Suzaku's body froze up for a moment, the comment for some reason making his chest ache again – like it had in the carriage, when he Lelouch had looked so depressed.

"I..." What was the matter with him today? He needed to get a hold of himself, needed to remind himself that this was just Lelouch, a man who created nothing but problems for him, a man he felt nothing but irritation towards. "You're mistaken."

His arm moved up Lelouch's torso, fingers fanning out over his chest. Suzaku met Bradley's gaze evenly, determined – determined about what?

"I love this man."

"I'm sorry."

Suzaku turned his head to the side, eyes locking on Lelouch's face. He regarded him curiously. Neither of them had said anything to each other after the incident with Bradley; they'd gone back inside, Lelouch quickly paying for the meal and requesting had their food put in boxes so they could bring it with them. Afterward, they walked to a nearby park to eat before their dinners became completely cold. It was quiet, rather secluded, lit only by high streetlamps. They sat across from each other, just as they had in the restaurant, eating silently.

Setting his fork down, Suzaku asked, "For what?"

A rueful smile appeared on Lelouch's face. "Bringing you to that restaurant. I guess I really was just showing off."

With a scoff Suzaku stabbed another piece of meat with his fork. "I told you so."

"I wanted to impress you."

The annoyed expression faltered, Suzaku's green eyes widening. "...Why?"

Lelouch shook his head and closed the lid of his to-go box, apparently finished even though half of the food remained untouched. "I don't know." His eyes lowered slightly. A blush suddenly flourished on his cheeks and he looked away again, coughing loudly. "Your dress is riding up."

Suzaku quickly directed his attention downwards. Indeed his dress had ridden up, exposing more than a decent amount of his upper thigh. He adjusted the material, muttering something about Rakshata and the inappropriate length of her dresses under his breath.

Silence threatened to reign again, but Suzaku kept it from doing so this time around as something caught his attention.

"Do you hear that?"

Lelouch's brow furrowed, as it tended to do whenever he was puzzled. He leaned closer to Suzaku. "Hear what?"

Suzaku rose to his feet, facing the direction he believed the noise to be coming from. "It's music."

Lelouch stood as well, walking over to Suzaku but still unable to hear anything. "Suzako, I can't—"

"It's this way! Come on!"

"O-_oi, _Suzako!" Lelouch sputtered as Suzaku grabbed him by the arm and began to run in the direction he'd been staring. "What are you doing!"

Their to-go boxes were left behind, Suzaku all but dragging Lelouch across the park until they reached a divide that separated the Britannian (wealthy) part of town from the ghetto where most of the Numbers lived.

"Suzako..." There was uncertainty in Lelouch's voice. He'd probably never crossed over the divide before – not that Suzaku could blame him; if he'd grown up in a huge mansion, he would probably never care to enter the ghetto either.

"Come _on_!"

"But Suzako—!"

Lelouch's protests fell on deaf ears, Suzaku crossing the invisible boundary between the two halves of the city and catching Lelouch's gaze expectantly, waiting for him to do the same. There was a hint of apprehension in the way Lelouch stood there, eyeing the ground, and for a moment Suzaku didn't think he would join him. Then, he felt a hand sliding into his own, Lelouch heaving a sigh as he stepped forward.

His heart was beating loudly, so loudly that Suzaku wouldn't be surprised if Lelouch could hear it next to him.

What was going on? Lelouch... why was Lelouch making him feel this way?

They followed the sound of drums, which Lelouch could hear now that they were so much closer, down a dirt path that led out of the main park and to a small square paved in cement, at the corner of which stood an old wooden pergola where a band played. The music was upbeat, and before the band couples danced together or clapped along in time to it.

Suzaku was mildly surprised at the amount of people gathered in the small area, and he felt a little bad for Lelouch, the only Britannian among them and not at ease with the ratio. He almost felt guilty, forcing Lelouch to along when he knew he would be the only non-Number there. Even so, it wasn't right for Lelouch to go on thinking that the only people in the world were the other wealthy purebreds he spent his entire life around. If he wanted to pretend to marry a minority just to get under his mother's skin, then Suzaku only thought it right that Lelouch actually spent time around them to see what they were really like.

People stared at them – even at Suzaku, a fellow Number – oddly as they entered further into the square, some glaring and others puzzled. Suzaku disregarded them. These were his own people; there was no reason to be uncertain of himself. Yet he still felt that way as he continued forward, feeling eyes boring into the back of his head. He stopped midway to the crowd of dancers, lowering his head, second-guessing himself. Maybe they shouldn't have come... They didn't belong here, not when they were dressed like this – it was almost as if they were flaunting the fact that they had such nice things to wear, while these people – Suzaku knew from experience – had nothing of the sort.

"Suzako..."

Suzaku lifted his gaze to meet Lelouch's, and was taken aback by the tenderness he found in those normally apathetic amethyst eyes. Hastily Suzaku averted his eyes and retreated, taking a step back from him, apologizing under his breath as he did so. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have insisted we come here. I just—"

Lelouch caught him by the upper arm and spun him back around as he tried to turn away. "Suzako," he said again, more firmly this time. He was closer than Suzaku remembered him being just seconds ago, and when he spoke Suzaku could feel the warmth of his breath ghosting over his cheek. "Did you... want to dance?"

All the noise of the world seemed to fade out of existence as Lelouch's fingers curled around his wrist, raising it to his lips and kissing the palm just as Bradley had done earlier that evening. Suzaku's face heated up, but he said nothing, not even as Lelouch gave his hand a gentle tug and began to walk them closer to the dance floor.

They stood amidst the twirling couples, their stillness odd among all the movement, and it took several seconds for Suzaku to realize that Lelouch didn't know how to lead them. The only dancing he was familiar with was formalized, ballroom-style dancing, and this... this was very different; with no rules to abide by, Lelouch was at a loss as to what to do, how to start.

"Here." Suzaku decided to help him out, taking Lelouch's hands and bringing one to rest on his hip while keeping a firm hold on the other. "Hold me like this."

Lelouch nodded his head, a light blush on his cheeks, his embarrassment mirrored in Suzaku's own expression. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this, but Lelouch had offered, and the music was so inviting... There wasn't any harm in it, Suzaku told himself as he took a step back, bringing Lelouch with him.

"Now move. However you want, it doesn't matter. Just don't stop."

And Suzaku said this only because it would cause a train wreck if they stopped in the midst of all the other dancers, _not_ because he liked the feel of Lelouch's hands on him.

Lelouch's eyes were radiant in the moonlight. Suzaku found himself unable to tear his gaze away, soon losing focus of the dancing as he got caught up in them, so he was unprepared when Lelouch, in one swift movement, daringly spun him out and then back in; he tripped on his own feet, not for the first time that evening, and ungracefully lurched forward with an undignified yelp. Lelouch caught him easily, but Suzaku's full body weight seemed too much for him to support and he fell backwards, bringing Suzaku down with him.

Everything was a blur. One moment, he was falling down, hearing a grunt from Lelouch as they connected with the floor, and the next...

The next, there were a pair of full lips pressed against his own, kissing the very breath out of him. And it didn't even register that it was Lelouch kissing him until he spoke, whispering a fake name against Suzaku's mouth.

"_Suzako_..."

Suzaku didn't even care if it wasn't his real name; didn't care what was going on in Lelouch's strange mind to make him kiss him like this, when there was no one to fool or impress, because it felt good – almost too good, and it shouldn't feel this way, not just because it was another man but because it was Lelouch, the same Lelouch that always made him so angry.

_Just don't stop._

Suzaku closed his eyes, returning the kiss when he felt Lelouch begin to pull away.

_Just don't stop. _

* * *

_Lawli: Yay, more kissing! 8D_

_People keep asking who's the seme and who's the uke in this story. Honestly, I'm trying to make them equal... though Suzaku is prone to look more like the uke since he's the one crossdressing. I haven't decided yet who's going to top when they smex (if they smex)._

_Thanks for reading, see you next time!_

_Oh, and if you see any typos please let me know! They tend to slip right past my eyes..._


	11. Girls Day In

_Lawli: I am SO SORRY this took such a long time to get out. I always think I'll have so much time on my hands to write when I'm on summer break, and then I always end up writing absolutely nothing at all. I've been out of the country (in Canada!) until a week ago, so I've been thoroughly distracted. And whenever I did manage to sit down and try and work on this, I met a brick wall every time. This second half of this chapter just did not want to be written. _

_I could go on and on listing excuses and apologizing, but I won't. All you need to know is that this story hasn't been abandoned! And that I'll try to update as regularly as I can. _

_THANKS TO... _**_animehamster_****_, _****_Arkaham_****_, _****_Suffocated Entity_****_, _****_icarus923_****_, _****_loveableneko_****_, _****_potterfreak0515_****_, _****_Crispy Rice_****_, _****_Candelabra_****_, ^_^, _****_6-The-Cloaked-Nocturne-9_****_, _****_realms of fic_****_, _****_loki lee_****_, _****_The Jelly Bean_****_, _****_DarkBombayAngel_****_, _****_Murasaki Anima_****_, Banana Nut Muffin, _****_deadaydreamer_****_, _****_Cheese-kun_****_, bb-s, _****_Derdimant_****_, _****_Aria DC al Fine_****_, _****_deathnoteno1fan-codegeasslover_****_, _****_calmxbeforexthexstorm_****_, _****_YaoiOkami_****_, Ten, Closet Chocoholic, _****_cridget101_****_, _****_ashfort_****_, L Lexuran, _****_simple charm_****_, La Luna Negra, _****_Vermillion Lies_****_, emi_to_mao_374, _****_megumi natsuyama_****_, A, _****_mochiusagi_****_, _****_RukiButterfly_****_, _****_AyanamiEraclea_****_, _****_Serena the Hikari of Love_****_, Jackidy, _****_Unadorned_****_, Millicent, Op_2, DrawerDiary, _****_twilightserius_****_, _****_DrewMayShipper_****_, _****_Nearu_****_, _****_Zurelily_****_, _****_moffit_****_, _****_Zakksu_****_, _****_S a l t y M i n t . P a n i c_****_, _****_stuckinabottle_****_, _****_Shinigami966890_****_, RedGoldX3, _****_Empty Melodies_****_, _****_Clichecatch_****_, _****_Cross - The Damned Alchemist_**_**, Viv.** ... FOR REVIEWING!_

_Also thanks to those of you who recommended new series for me to watch! Especially 6-The-Cloaked-Nocturne-9, who recc'd Kuroshitsuji and Nabari no Ou, both of which I'm now obsessed with! XD (-totally cosplaying as Ciel-in-drag next month-)_

_ONTO THE FIC! Enjoy ample amounts of angsty and in-denial Suzaku... ;P_

* * *

_**The Charlatans of Circumstance**_  
-Chapter Eleven-

"Miss Suzako?"

Suzaku groaned, turning over onto his side in an attempt to escape the voice calling out to him. To his chagrin, a harsh beam of sunlight assaulted him, making his eyes twitch behind closed lids and squeeze shut tightly. His nose twitched from the uplift of dust off the newly-opened curtains.

"Miss Suzako," the voice called again. Persistent. It obviously would not leave until he was awake. There was no trying to fight it.

With a heavy sigh Suzaku wrenched open his eyes, having to squint to block out the rays of light which, after just having woken, were not welcome in the slightest.

"Ah, good! You're awake!"

Sitting up in the large bed, Suzaku rubbed his eyes to try and get the leftover sleepiness out of them, and once the haze in his mind had somewhat cleared away he noticed it was Sayoko present with him in the bedroom.

... The bedroom that, upon another quick sweep of the eyes, did not resemble the one he had been given. One difference Suzaku immediately picked up on was that the bed had gold sheets and was positioned against the opposite wall than he remembered.

A cold apprehension filled him as Suzaku hesitantly met Sayoko's gaze. The maid was smiling in the same knowing way she always did. There could be no pretending with this woman.

"Um," Suzaku began uncertainly, not wanting to ask (afraid of the answer) but feeling the need to anyways; "where am I?"

Sayoko did not hesitate to answer. "You are in master Lelouch's bedroom."

With those words Suzaku's heart dropped into his stomach. _Lelouch's bedroom_? How? _Why_? What on Earth was he doing in there? They hadn't – Suzaku broke out in a nervous sweat – they hadn't _done _anything, had they?

Too quickly, Suzaku pulled back the covers and took a good look at himself. To his immense relief he was still clothed in his dress from the previous evening (he was missing his stockings, but he wouldn't go there right now). That left the probability of them having done something they'd both regret at a minimum, but the chance was still there. Suzaku's mind was foggy, a jumble of blurry memories he couldn't make sense of alone, or couldn't piece together to form a clearer picture.

He remembered dinner, unpleasant as it was, and going to the park afterward... following the sound of faint music – drums... dancing, and the feeling of someone kissing him so desperately... wonderfully... and then nothing.

"Master Lelouch insisted this be brought to you, Miss Suzako."

Suzaku, for the first time, took notice of the tray of food on the edge of the bed. Scones, croissants, fresh fruit and tea. Lelouch sent that for him? Unbidden, a blush crept across Suzaku's cheeks at the gentlemanly notion. It just didn't seem like Lelouch to do something like that; unless it was all just a part of the act? He hated to think so pessimistically but he just didn't know what to make of Lelouch anymore.

Gingerly he took a croissant from the tray. "Where is Lelouch?" he questioned innocently. In a way he was relieved that Lelouch wasn't present, but he did wonder if the other man knew something about the previous night.

Sayoko moved over to the second large bay window of the bedroom to draw back the curtains. "He's gone into town for the day," she replied. "I'm afraid he won't be back until much later."

"I see." Suzaku took a small bite of his croissant, wondering what he was supposed to do for the day with Lelouch gone.

Wait, what was he thinking? Suzaku didn't _depend _on people – especially not Lelouch – to enjoy his day. He didn't _need _Lelouch there!

Sayoko turned back to him. "Shall I run you a bath, my lady?"

Suzaku nodded, and ten minutes later was lounging in a tub filled near to the brim with water. A sigh escaped him as he sunk further in, chin and mouth disappearing below the water's surface.

_What happened last night? _

As much as he repeated the question, no answer ever followed it. Suzaku couldn't recall how they'd made it back to the estate from the park – couldn't even remember a majority of what happened at the park. Just music, the constant beat of drums and the feeling of being swept away. And...

Suzaku touched a hand to his lips, almost swearing that they began to tingle in remembrance of a phantom's kiss. Green eyes slid shut, Suzaku attempting to put a face to the shadow in his mind.

_Could it..._

No. He couldn't even complete that thought. There was no way he would... not with Lelouch.

But then, it might explain why he'd woken up in Lelouch's bed, or why Lelouch sent him breakfast in aforementioned bed, or even why Lelouch was conveniently absent that morning.

_Why would Lelouch kiss me?_

Suzaku couldn't think of a reason for Lelouch to do something like that. The man looked like he would pass out when pressured to give Suzaku a peck on the lips in front of their dinner guests, so why would he kiss Suzaku fully on the lips when there was nobody demanding it?

Lelouch had been acting strangely, though. Like when he'd defended Suzaku in front of Bradley. Not that Suzaku didn't appreciate it, it was just that...

"_She's my lover."_

Suzaku released a deep breath through his mouth, creating a stream of bubbles in the water.

Why did he have to use that word? _Lover_...

"_I wanted to impress you..."_

But it hadn't been the usual flaunting. Moreover, why would Lelouch even care about impressing him?

"_She's my lover."_

He needed to stop thinking about this; it was only making him more confused, and for some reason the longer he mulled over it, the less he found himself bothered by the possibility of Lelouch having been the one to kiss him.

Suzaku groaned loudly. "This is crazy!" And it _was_. There was no way in Hell that _he_ could have feelings for Lelouch. Had acting the part of a woman gone to his head so completely that he was actually starting to fall for another man? And Lelouch, of all men? "I'm going crazy!"

"Miss Suzako?"

Suzaku screamed, turning quickly towards the door and nearly passing out as he saw Sayoko standing there, wide-eyed – staring not at his face but at his lack of chest.

"U-um," Suzaku stammered, blushing furiously. "I..." He swallowed and shook his head, dropping the feminine act and using his normal voice. "This is... I can explain!"

Sayoko only placed the towel in her hands on the counter and left the room. But the grin on her face as she did so didn't get by Suzaku.

* * *

When Suzaku finally managed to track Sayoko down, the young maid didn't even seem interested in listening to anything he had to say.

"Master Lelouch's preference in sexual partners is hardly my business," she told the stuttering and red-faced Suzaku, who proceeded to stutter even more as the blush on his face darkened.

"Th-that isn't – I-I mean, Lelouch and I, we aren't—"

Sayoko gave one of her usual smiles. "Never fear, _miss _Suzako. I have no intention of revealing the truth. Nor do I expect you or my young master to explain yourselves. To be honest... I've known he was planning something from the start. Master Lelouch is not the sort of man to take a bride, especially not so soon after meeting her. And more than that, he is not the sort of man to do what his mother wants of him. Though I am impressed by this scheme of his; how he's managed to fool the rest of the family so easily."

She tilted her head to the side. "I wonder how much longer you two can keep it up..."

Suzaku heaved a sigh, looking away from her. Truthfully, it would probably be better to end things sooner rather than later. Before his feelings became even more messed up than they already were. But Lelouch still hadn't given him any indication of how their little relationship was supposed to meet its end. Just how long did Lelouch want to keep pretending? As of late, he hadn't seemed particularly bothered about being with Suzaku.

_Or is it Suzako he doesn't mind?_

During all the time he'd spent together with Lelouch, Suzaku couldn't say he'd ever fully been himself, and appearance-wise he'd looked like a woman. So was it that woman whom Lelouch enjoyed being with?

It made sense. More sense than Lelouch liking a poor Eleven boy with absolutely nothing to his name.

Suzaku placed a hand against his chest, rubbing at the skin over his heart as if trying to relieve himself of an ache he couldn't quite reach. "I don't know how much longer," he replied in a hushed voice.

Sayoko regarded him for a moment. "You don't want it to end."

It was a statement, not a question. Suzaku raised his head, blinking twice. "What?"

"You don't want it to end. This relationship you have with master Lelouch... You're afraid to lose it."

Suzaku didn't know what to say.

Possibly because Sayoko's words were truer than she herself even realized, or that Suzaku wanted to admit. Because there was no way he could actually want to continue living like this – living as Lelouch's pretend-lover. He didn't actually have feelings for Lelouch; he wasn't really in love with him!

...Right?

* * *

It was to Suzaku's great displeasure, as he blindly descended the stairwell, lost in thoughts of his previous discussion with Sayoko, that he bumped – literally – into Marianne Lamperouge. He wouldn't have even realized he'd done it, if not for the dignified huff that reached his ears seconds afterward, making him freeze in his steps and flush as he finally took note of who stood before him.

_Great_. As if Marianne didn't already have enough reasons to hate him, now she could add his being careless and rude to the list. With all the things he already had to worry about – especially his new, possible (yes, _possible..._ Suzaku did not want to accept them as a definite just yet) feelings for Lelouch – Suzaku did not want to deal with an irate Marianne. Quickly he stammered out an apology.

Marianne considered him with cool lavender eyes that reminded him too much of her son's before tilting her head and smiling in that 'friendly-but-not-really' way of hers.

"Not a problem. I imagine it must be hard for such a gangly woman as yourself to walk properly in those," she replied, glancing down at the heeled shoes adoring Suzaku's feet.

Suzaku balked, yet in the midst of feeling self-conscious couldn't keep his pride from flaring up. Walking in heels was _hard_ – especially for him, a _man_, who had no need to wear a pair up until just recently. The fact that he learned how to walk in them so quickly was something to be admired, even if he did, admittedly, stumble from time to time. Of course, even though he so badly wanted to wipe that little grin of her face, he could never tell Marianne any of that; it would ruin Lelouch's plans.

But he hated this! Hated having to act like this when all he wanted to do was prove himself – to give some kind of snide remark that would shut the woman in front of him up for good. Showing a bit of character from time to time, just so the Lamperouge family knew Suzako wasn't a pushover, was fine but it wasn't something he could do as often as he would have liked; there was standing up for oneself and then there was being a bitch, the latter which Suzaku did not people thinking of him as.

Besides... he couldn't ruin things for Lelouch. Even if he still had no idea what Lelouch hoped to achieve with this grand charade.

Suzaku took a silent deep breath and met Marianne's gaze yet again, determined not to start anything, yet at the same time not about to roll over. "Yes. Luckily for me, and," he gave a small chuckle, "probably everyone around me, Lelouch prefers when I don't wear heels. But as for his reasons... well, he finds heels much harder to take off at the end of the day" The suggestiveness of the statement was even more pronounced due to the tone of voice Suzaku chose to adopt. "He's quite impatient, your son."

He didn't wait for her to say anything – not that Marianne had much to say to that – instead sidestepping around Lelouch's mother and continuing down the stairs, mindful of where he was going this time around. He had to say he felt quite proud of himself. While his words had been lewd for a lady, as well as completely untrue, there was nothing cruel about them.

"Suzako!"

Suzaku's expression brightened immediately as he caught sight of Euphemia in the parlor. She was sitting on the starch white sofa with a book in hand and a cup of tea on the table before her, dressed in a casual ivory and green dress that hugged her curves nicely. Today Suzaku had on a dress of a similar cut, and he couldn't help but notice how completely differently it hung on him. It made him wonder how on Earth he was fooling anyone in this house.

"Good morning, Euphie," he greeted, making his way over to the sofa to sit next to her.

Euphemia smiled – a real smile unlike Marianne's, which made his heart flutter and sink at the same time. Euphemia was such a beautiful woman, and kind as well; the sort of woman Suzaku could easily see himself falling in love with. It was such a pity they had to meet under these circumstances, with Suzaku in a dress and seriously doubting his own sexuality thanks to Lelouch.

"Afternoon is more like it."

Suzaku glanced at the clock that hung on the opposite wall and was shocked to discover she was right. He hadn't even realized how late it had gotten. He must have been talking with Sayoko for a long time...

At just the thought of that conversation, a blush started to creep down his neck.

"I'm sorry, that was too bold of me!"

The exclamation brought him back to the present, Suzaku making a face and replying intelligently, "huh?"

It was Euphemia's turn to blush. She fiddled with the folds of her skirt, avoiding Suzaku's gaze. "It was nothing, never mind." She made the mistake of raising her eyes, and upon seeing the brunette's confusion her blush darkened even further. "I-I'd just asked... if you and my brother had a nice time last night."

Despite its implications Suzaku could find nothing bold about the question, and he voiced just as much – which seemed to relieve Euphemia a great deal, considering how her posture relaxed afterward. "It was very nice. Lelouch is... very romantic." Suzaku didn't even know if he was lying when he said these things anymore. Because honestly, thinking back on the evening – the carriage ride, dinner at an upscale restaurant – even if the latter hadn't turned out quite as expected, it_ was_ a very romantic evening.

"I've always thought so," Euphemia agreed with a giggle. "He tries so hard to put on a cool façade, but... I've always thought he was the most soft-hearted of my brothers."

Suzaku frowned. So Euphemia noticed the two sides of her brother as well..

"I wonder why he does that."

Euphemia blinked. "Does what?"

"Pretends." Suzaku noticed for the first time that there were now two cups of tea on the table, and Sayoko was standing by the entrance of the parlor. Silently, Suzaku smiled in thanks and lifted the china cup to his lips. He hesitated before drinking to elaborate. "To be honest... I hate it when Lelouch doesn't act like himself. Sometimes I find it hard to know what he's really thinking, when he tries to pretend he's someone he's not; he treats me differently..."

"But you're his fiancée," Euphemia said, taking her own cup of tea in both hands. "You should know he loves you even if he's putting up a front around others."

"He shouldn't have to do that!" Suzaku exclaimed before he could stop himself. "What does he need to put up a front for? Lelouch is... he's a good person, he shouldn't have to hide that from anyone."

Euphemia gave a gentle smile, lavender eyes radiating warmth and the fondness she felt towards her elder brother as she sipped her tea. "Lelouch has always been that way, though."

Suzaku slumped back against the sofa in a manner that was hardly ladylike and gave an exasperated sigh. "What's he trying to prove?"

"I don't think I'm the one you should be asking."

As if Lelouch would ever tell him anything about his personal life. All he told Suzaku was the bare minimum, and only because he didn't want Suzaku saying anything stupid that might blow their cover. He would never divulge anything about his feelings, Suzaku knew that already, so he found it stupid to even consider asking Lelouch about this.

Still, that didn't change the fact that Suzaku wanted to know. He shouldn't want to know – really, he shouldn't c_are_ at all. But if there was anything he'd realized this morning it was that he'd come to care far more about Lelouch than he ever could have foreseen.

_Why did Lelouch act one way when alone with certain people (like Suzaku himself), and a completely different way around others? _

Suzaku didn't even know what he would do if he ever found out the answers to his questions, but... he wanted to know.

_What was Lelouch afraid of?_

* * *

As Sayoko promised, Lelouch didn't return home until early evening. Suzaku didn't want to admit that he'd missed the other man, but... well, there was only so much he could _do_ at the Lamperouge estate!

Wanting to avoid Marianne as much as possible, Suzaku occupied himself with accompanying Euphemia on a stroll through the gardens, where they encountered Arthur (and his lethally sharp claws, or so the scratches along Suzaku's arms hinted); afterwards they'd spent time with Kaguya, though the girl had little interest in anything besides the television in her room.

Suzaku found it difficult to speak with her when dressed as Suzako anyways, for all she seemed to want to do was inquire about his and Lelouch's _affairs_ (and, yes, she did stress it like that). With that attitude of hers, she wouldn't be much help but Suzaku found himself wanting to talk to her in private about the strange things he was feeling; she was his only family, the only person he felt as though he could talk to about such things, even if she would never let him live it down. Kaguya did have her moments of wisdom, and Suzaku felt as though he could use her advice now more than ever. But he couldn't exactly boot Euphemia out of the room.

So instead, the three 'women' all sat on Kaguya's large bed, the television set on a soap opera (at first they'd been watching a talk show, but Suzaku immediately switched the channel when the topic of the day was announced as _My Wife Had a Sex Change_, hearing Kaguya snort under her breath as he did so) as they gossiped and painted their toenails. Suzaku was reluctant to let either of them go near his feet, but at Euphemia's insistence he begrudgingly allowed her to paint the nails red.

"We're just like sisters already," she'd giggled, while Suzaku tried hard not to shiver pleasantly at the touch of her delicate fingers on his feet, which had always been rather sensitive.

By the time Suzaku left the room several hours later, with a perfect pedicure and his head filled with the latest on the Lamperouge family and friends, he felt far more like a woman than he'd ever wanted to in his life. As strange and emasculating as the experience had been, the time spent with Kaguya and Euphemia helped him forget everything he'd been worrying about before.

...Not that it mattered, since the moment he saw Lelouch all his questions and insecurities came rushing back.

He was standing in the foyer, and Suzaku couldn't help but think with a heavy blush that he looked devastatingly handsome in his black slacks and white button-down, a red tie loosened around his neck. For a brief moment Suzaku felt the insane desire to reach out and pull the tie away altogether.

Oh, god, he was _losing it_.

This needed to stop. Suzaku didn't like these weird thoughts and feelings towards Lelouch, they weren't right at all. Before things got any worse than they already were, he needed to end this. He needed to speak to Lelouch alone, find out a way for their little act to come to an end because he couldn't live with having Suzako's feelings for Lelouch.

"Lelouch, I—"

"Suzako, I'm glad you're here."

There was a cheerful lilt to Lelouch's voice, and for the first time Suzaku noticed the uncharacteristic grin on his face. Suzaku, wondering if this was another act, hesitated before proceeding further into the foyer. He stopped as he reached Lelouch's side, keeping a safe amount of distance between them, but Lelouch would have none of it. He placed a hand on Suzaku's arm, drawing him closer.

Unbidden, a blush appeared on Suzaku's face as Lelouch's arm dared to drift lower, until it wound around his waist to hold the two of them together. He didn't need this right now! "Look, I have to talk to you about something," he began, only to have Lelouch interrupt him again.

"Can it wait?" Lelouch asked, the smile morphing into a more customary frown. "There's someone I wanted you to meet."

Suzaku shook his head, attempting to wriggle out of Lelouch's hold. "No," he hissed. "I really have no desire to meet any more of your family members. This is important."

"It's not a family member," Lelouch promised. "And I think it's more important than whatever you may want to say to me." He paused, effectively capturing Suzaku's interest. "It's about Kaguya."

That did the trick. Suzaku gave up complaining and allowed Lelouch to take him by the arm and lead him from the house.


	12. Touch

_Lawli: -sigh- Another late update. Seriously I don't know why it takes me so long. I won't even bother apologizing, you've all probably come to expect it by now! BUT the important thing is, at least I am updating, right? I just hope the chapter is worth it for you all. I'm rather fond of it... but I might just be biased. ^^_

_I almost gave you chapter eleven again on accident. For some reason kept uploading the docmuent wrong.. o.O I have no idea how, but it only kept uploading chapter eleven. Good thing I checked before I hitted 'submit'.. I may have had a few angry readers if I submitted it like that._

_BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS STORY HAS REACHED 300 REVIEWS! 8D It's so exciting! I've never gotten so many reviews on a story before, so I can't even begin to express how happy this makes me! SO A BIG THANK-YOU TO EVERYONE REVIEWING! If I could I'd give you SuzaxLulu plushies or doujinshies or something. -hearts-_

_BTW also wanted to say thanks to Cottoncandycosmo who recc'd the series 'Rust Blasters' to me! I haven't gotten far into it yet but I LOVE IT so far! 8D Anything with vampires makes me happy, plus the art is so good. 8)_

_...Oh you want a chapter now?_

_Fine, I guess you've waited long enough._

_THANKS TO..._**_terracannon876_****_, RangerInBlack, 6-The-Cloaked-Nocturne-9, _****_animehamster_****_, Crispy Rice, _****_DrewMayShipper_****_, Serena The Hikari of Love, _****_MizuiroSnow_****_, _****_bLaCkxxxRoS3_****_, Suffocated Entity, icarus923, _****_Diana Prince_****_, Midoribon, DarkBombayAngel, _****_mochiusagi_****_, Zakksu, _****_Shinigami966890_****_, _****_lilyrose225_****_, HarukaSakuke, _****_Arkaham_****_, SendMeAGiftBasketOrElse, _****_Hot-Emo-Athiest_****_, BloodLustPhyco, gali-o-, Millicent, cottoncandycosmo, _****_ToSet_****_, J Plash, _****_jarnee337_****_, slivblue, _****_MeEksiNs_****_, _****_riceandXDs_****_, Zenndra, _****_mikoofdoom_**_**, Not Yet Knowing, moneymakestheworldgoround**... FOR REVIEWING!_

_CHAPTER WARNING: Boys in dresses! Boys kissing boys, oh my!_

* * *

_**The Charlatans of Circumstance  
**__-Chapter Twelve-_

They took the limousine into town, and almost the entire ride Suzaku pestered Lelouch for information. Lelouch remained silent, an enigmatic, tight-lipped smile on his face as refused to even hint at where in town they were headed. He'd already given the clue that their trip had something to do with Kaguya, so that narrowed the options down quite a bit, the most obvious presumption being that it was medically-related.

...Unless Lelouch was trying to throw him for a loop, and it wasn't really anything like what Suzaku was thinking? What if it wasn't about Kaguya at all, and Lelouch only said it was because he knew Suzaku could never refuse anything regarding his cousin?

It was low, but Suzaku couldn't consider Lelouch above such methods. Lelouch _had_ blackmailed Suzaku into acting the role of a woman, and he _was_ the one putting on a show and lying to his entire family about being engaged. (And there were also the strange feelings Suzaku had as of late; Lelouch was responsible for those too, without a doubt, because it certainly couldn't be by any fault of Suzaku's own that even now just a look across the limousine from the other male caused his heart to flutter...) Stringing Suzaku along would be nothing to a person like that.

"Is something wrong?"

Suzaku flushed, realizing he must have been glaring rather fiercely at Lelouch and now feeling guilty about it. Blackmail and weird feelings aside, Lelouch really hadn't given Suzaku any reason to doubt him – about this trip or anything else. Shaking his head, Suzaku glanced out the window, embarrassed by the childish and petty thoughts he'd been entertaining. He began playing idly with the gold 'engagement' ring on his left hand as Lelouch leaned back in his chair, obviously unsatisfied with Suzaku's response but not about to pester him further given how unresponsive he himself was being to the other's many inquiries.

"We're almost there," he assured, lavender eyes focusing on the ring.

Sensing his gaze lingering, Suzaku turned his head back towards Lelouch, briefly ceasing his twisting of the ring around his finger – thinking it must have bothered the other male to see his jewelry mistreated. When Lelouch did not look away, however, Suzaku frowned. "What?" he asked, a huffy edge to his voice that he wasn't proud of.

Nodding at the ring, Lelouch replied simply; "it doesn't suit you."

Suzaku spread the fingers of his left hand out into a fan. The small diamond in the center of the ring glittered up at him. It was a plain ring, the band devoid of any designs that were all the modern rage, and suitable for hands bigger than his own (strange, he hadn't thought Lelouch's were).

"I-I think it's fine," he said, immediately getting on the defensive and earning a chuckle from Lelouch, who leaned forward, pulling Suzaku's hand closer to better observe the ring.

"I didn't mean it as an insult," he replied, covering Suzaku's hand with his own. Unbidden, Suzaku felt a blush rise to his cheeks. "I just think you should have something... nicer." He raised his eyes, locking them on Suzaku's and, for a moment, Suzaku forgot how to breathe. What was Lelouch _saying_?

"W-well," Suzaku stammered, wrenching his hand away, unable to hold Lelouch's gaze any longer. He hated feeling this way – like some... some love-struck idiot! What was Lelouch _doing_ to him? "Well it's your own fault! You gave me the ugly thing!"

The words burst out before he even had a chance of stopping them; for some reason, when it came to Lelouch, Suzaku could never keep a level head. A majority of their conversations descended into snippy arguments within a matter of moments, Suzaku finding Lelouch insufferably arrogant and inscrutable, which made proper communication between them impossible. He never knew what Lelouch was thinking, or what he even wanted from him, and it was so, _so... infuriating_!

And yet... even when they fought and Suzaku was angry with him – like now – he still...

"_Did you... want to dance?"_

With a sigh Lelouch sat back, increasing the distance Suzaku insisted lay between them. "I suppose you're right."

Suzaku now felt a trifle more at ease with Lelouch's heart-stopping eyes out of sight. Now if only he could get Lelouch to stop saying things that made his breath catch, he might survive this car ride. He tried to calm down, clear his mind. "Now you know not to be such a cheapskate with your next fiancé," he said matter-of-factly, adjusting the chiffon skirt of his dress and attempting to ignore the dread-filled chill that passed over him the moment the words escaped him.

Lelouch's voice was full of that same, cold trepidation as he echoed, "next...?"

Why was it so hard to say?_ ..._To even _think_ it...

Suzaku knew none of this was real – that it couldn't be real. They both knew, and they both knew it had to come to an end in the near future. Afterward, they would each go on with their lives. Lelouch would eventually truly fall in love and get married, and maybe, hopefully – hopefully (_right_? He shouldn't be saddened by this) – Suzaku would too, and yet...

_And yet... _

Suzaku couldn't stand the idea, for some reason.

So he pushed it from his mind.

"The car's stopped!" he pointed out, falling into the carefree act of Suzako and feeling much more secure there now than he had the past few days.

_Suzako_ had a place to belong – it was at Lelouch's side.

And Suzaku wanted to stay there, just a little while longer.

... Maybe Sayoko was right; he didn't want this to end. Not really.

_Just a little while longer. _

* * *

None of Suzaku's qualms were justified.

The man Lelouch introduced him to was Lloyd Asplund – a Britannian doctor who had spent the greater part of his residency in Japan and, despite his apparent genius was ill-regarded because of it.

Still, he had an office of his own – and it was bright and tidy and in a decent part of town, which was more than Suzaku could say for Dr. Bradley; and, on top of that, he was very willing to meet Lelouch's fiancée, an Eleven! He grinned as he examined Suzaku, grey-blue eyes twinkling behind his spectacles as he leaned forward in his chair and thoroughly surprised Suzaku by calling him by a name he hadn't heard in a while.

"Suzaku Kururugi!"

Suzaku started, astonished that the man knew who he was and absolutely mortified to be seen in a dress by someone (besides Lelouch or Kaguya or C.C.) aware of his true gender. He shot a questioning glance in Lelouch's direction but Lelouch refused to make eye contact; they hadn't really said much to each other since the awkwardly failed conversation in the limousine, but Suzaku had hoped Lelouch would come around – he needed answers, after all! Did Lelouch tell Lloyd Asplund who he really was, or was Suzaku supposed to recognize him from somewhere? Horrified, he wondered if he'd stolen from the man in the past; but pick-pocketing was hardly a habit (the instance with Lelouch didn't count) and Suzaku would remember that oddly colored hair anywhere.

Dr. Asplund giggled. "Don't be so alarmed, Kururugi-_kun_," he said, stressing the Japanese formality. Suzaku blinked, yet again taken aback by the use of his native language (even if it was mockery of sorts). "Your lover over there has told me all about you, and your... _unique_ situation."

Flushing, Suzaku curled his fingers into the material of his skirt and glared at Lelouch. How embarrassing; he couldn't believe Lelouch would actually reveal so much to this man.

...But then, hadn't he been wishing for a little honesty? It got so tiresome acting as Suzako around everyone... he should feel grateful for this small opportunity to be himself. It just would have been nice if Lelouch told him about it in advance.

"Even if he didn't," Dr. Asplund continued, rising from his desk chair and approaching the two young men, "I think I would recognize you just about anywhere, Kururugi-_kun_... despite having seen you last over ten years ago. Your face used to be all over the news... 'Genbu Kururugi's son, still missing...'"

At the mention of his father's name, Suzaku froze, emerald eyes widening as his mind replayed the image of the Kururugi shrine burning to the ground.

"_Suzaku, get out of here!"_

"_Otou-sama!"_

"I never would have thought I'd see you here!" The doctor sounded positively delighted by the ironic discovery.

_Gunfire, smoke... Kaguya crying and his aunt leading him by the hand, away from it all._

"_Stay close, Suzaku. Don't look back, Suzaku." _

A hand settled on his arm and Suzaku jumped, spinning around and finding his vision filled by concerned amethyst eyes. Lelouch stood in front of him, lips curled downwards in a typical frown, not out of annoyance or general apathy. Suzaku wouldn't have considered it possible before, but Lelouch looked genuinely worried about him.

Worried and... curious. It dawned on Suzaku that Lelouch had no idea whatsoever who he really was – the son of Japan's last Prime Minister; not that such a status meant anything now, when Japan no longer existed and Numbers were the lowest on the political food chain, but it was just another reminder that they knew so very little about each other, and it hurt almost as much as the memory of the day he'd been forced to leave his homeland.

Lelouch's hand moved, slipping around Suzaku's back as if he wanted to pull him closer and Suzaku didn't resist, needing the comfort the warmth of Lelouch's eyes and hands offered.

"_Lloyd!_"

A woman had entered the room, a disapproving expression on her face as she crossed over to the doctor. By the time she reached him Lelouch had already pulled away from Suzaku, much to the latter's disappointment.

"I apologize for my colleague's lack of common sense," she said, glaring at Dr. Asplund who disregarded her presence entirely. With a sigh she turned her focus to the other two men in the room, scowl morphing into a kindhearted smile as she extended a hand towards Lelouch and Suzaku. "I'm C_é_cile Croomy."

Suzaku shook her hand while Lelouch merely nodded in greeting. "We spoke earlier."

"Yes, we did. It's a pleasure to finally meet you both. Lloyd and I are happy to be able to help your cousin, Suzaku."

Suzaku wondered if he was hearing things correctly. These people were really... going to treat Kaguya? Just like that? It seemed too... simple. He'd searched everywhere in hopes of finding a more respectable doctor for his cousin, but no established Britannian medic wanted to go near an Eleven – it would taint their reputation. So why would these people..? He couldn't understand such kindness.

"A human being is a human being, Britannian or otherwise," C_é_cile replied when Suzaku voiced his suspicion. "While we realize the class system here in Britannia, we would never refuse someone in need of our assistance just because of their race."

Lloyd let out another small giggle. "But also~ ...I do owe your dear fiancé a favor or two. He funded some research of mine in the past~."

"O-oh..."

C_é_cile rolled her eyes. "That isn't to say we wouldn't treat her anyways."

It _did _make a difference, though. None of them had to say it for Suzaku to realize; it meant they weren't doing this purely out of the goodness of their hearts. It meant they might still be unwilling, but Lelouch had something to hold over their heads.

Which made Suzaku wonder why Lelouch was bothering to do this for him; why go out of his way to find a new doctor for Kaguya? It wasn't his problem; he didn't need to agonize over Suzaku's troubles.

The question must have been written all over his face.

"It's because I want to," Lelouch said, and that look was in his eyes again – the one of concern and of... something else, something Suzaku vaguely recalled seeing before (maybe the night prior, when they kissed, but he couldn't exactly remember...). "Kaguya told me about the man treating her right now, Luciano Bradley. The same man we met yesterday at the restaurant." He crossed his arms over his chest, expression turning sour. "I don't want her in the care of someone like that."

"L-Lelouch..."

Suzaku didn't know what to say. He had no idea Lelouch worried about Kaguya like that, that he actually cared about the doctors he saw. She..._ they_... were both nothing to him, after all, right? Just two people he needed to keep around for a while, until he was finished with his little charade and ready to throw them out of his life again and move on. Why go to such extremes to help them?

Lelouch took a step closer to him, taking his hand. "I know you doubt me. Doubt... this, Dr. Asplund and Dr. Croomy, but please try to believe that I'm not doing this to gain anything."

"Then why..?" Suzaku hated to ask – hated to sound so distrusting in front of these people who so far had shown him nothing but kindness and compassion towards Kaguya. He stared down at his and Lelouch's adjoined hands.

Lelouch stared, too, squeezing his fingers against Suzaku's tightly. "I have a younger sister. Nunnally. She's... not in the best health, either. So I know what it's like... to worry all the time, to want to provide for her."

The rest of the answer Suzaku found in Lelouch's amethyst eyes: _And I don't want you to worry anymore; I want to provide for you._

He was speechless.

* * *

Suzaku was kissing him before the door to the limousine was even fully closed.

The entire meeting with the two doctors, he'd attempted brainstorming ways he could thank Lelouch for doing something like this for him and Kaguya, and he couldn't think of anything. The words he came up with were too cliché, even to his own ears, and he knew he wouldn't have the gall to say any of them to Lelouch when the time came. Kissing was just as embarrassing, maybe even more so, but... anything else just didn't seem like enough. Nothing would ever be enough to express the depth of his gratitude, of course, but this was more personal – more than just a simple "thanks".

And maybe... just maybe... Suzaku _wanted_ to kiss him.

Just maybe he'd been thinking about it since Lelouch tried to comfort him in the doctor's office, before C_é_cile interrupted (or even before, ever since he remembered that he and Lelouch had kissed the night of their 'date').

It caught Lelouch completely off guard and he fell back against the leather bench where Suzaku pushed him, unresponsive as his mind worked to register what was going on. He was laying on his back, Suzaku managing to straddle him on the narrow seat, their lips fused together in a kiss that was a little shy and needy but also aggressive in it's own way, overflowing with the appreciation Suzaku wanted to show him. In this position, the chiffon skirt rode up past Suzaku's knees, and even farther up in the back; it was almost like a dream, the lightly tanned skin begging to be touched.

Coming to, Lelouch wound his arms around Suzaku's waist, arching his neck and pressing into the kiss, groaning softly as he felt the moisture of Suzaku's tongue running along his bottom lip.

"Lelouch," Suzaku whispered against his mouth, bringing one of his hands to cup an aristocratic cheek, fingers brushing aside rebellious strands of black hair. He kissed him again and marveled at how good it felt to do it, to feel those lips moving against his own and even to feel the other's body so close. Vaguely Suzaku noted his foolish actions, all of which he would more than likely regret later, but right now he wanted nothing more than this closeness (no, this closeness wasn't even enough – he wanted more than this; he wanted to give Lelouch more than just this, although he wasn't quite sure how).

Lelouch's hips lifted off the seat, making delicious contact with Suzaku's that sparked an unexpected, fierce heat in Suzaku's groin. With the sudden pleasure came the realization of just what he was doing and who he was doing it with, hitting him with the blunt force of a moving vehicle.

Dear God, _what was he doing_? What was he _thinking_? Wanting more – wanting to be closer to Lelouch... This was so, completely wrong on a multitude of levels!

Suzaku pulled away, horrified by his own thoughts and actions, cheeks aflame as he attempted to distance himself from Lelouch as quickly as possible. If he could he would have bolted from the limousine, but with it already in motion the most Suzaku could do was scramble to the opposite side of the bench – or try to. Lelouch sat up and grabbed hold of his arm before he got the chance to actually move very far.

"Suza—"

"I'm sorry!" Suzaku cut him off, voice jumping an octave so it resembled the tone he adopted when speaking as Suzako. He pulled against Lelouch's grip, but either Lelouch was stronger than he imagined or he his attempt to break free was merely halfhearted. "I'm sorry, I just..."

A surprisingly powerful tug from Lelouch and Suzaku found himself almost in the other man's lap. The blush on his face darkened and his gaze flitted about the limousine, Suzaku determined to look at anything but Lelouch's face that was once again too close to his own for comfort. A shiver coursed down his spine as he felt warm breath ghost across his neck; Lelouch's eyes were boring into him but Suzaku refused to make contact.

_Don't look at me like that..._

"Just..."

It was Lelouch who kissed him this time around, softly and reassuringly, his hands on either side of Suzaku's face. Suzaku fell still almost instantly, emitting a faint, keening sound from the back of his throat as Lelouch massaged his lips in a quite persuasive manner. One of the hands dared travel lower, carefully threading through the silky fibers of Suzaku's wig, skimming down his spine until it rested comfortably on the small of his back.

_Don't touch me like this..._

Lelouch's tongue swept across Suzaku's bottom lip, and Suzaku responded without thinking, granting Lelouch entrance into his mouth as he wound trembling arms around his neck.

_You're driving me crazy._

He closed his eyes, giving in.

* * *

Everyone noticed the difference.

While the couple had become known for being reserved in public, displaying as little affection in front of others as possible, in the course of one day it became custom to see them gazing affectionately at one another, sneaking kisses and not-entirely-proper touches even if aware they had an audience. No-one could tell the cause, but everyone could see that Lelouch and Suzaku had changed, and they were eager to learn why.

"So..?"

Kaguya sat at the foot of her bed, watching her cousin pour over a book of wedding dresses Euphemia presented him with upon their return home the evening before. She had been expecting Suzaku to just toss the thing in the trash the second he got up to his bedroom, but to her complete surprise he was actually studying the pages, circling item numbers he liked. He'd never taken the Suzako-charade so completely seriously. She was about to question his sanity, but she had her suspicions about the grounds for her male (last time she checked) cousin to act so peculiarly.

When Suzaku didn't answer, only dog-eared the page of another dress he liked, Kaguya rolled her eyes and began to cough loudly.

That made him start, nervous green eyes darting towards her. "Kaguya! Are you okay? Do you need some water?" He was already standing up, walking purposefully towards the door but Kaguya shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. Just wanted to get your attention. You're really... into that book." She gestured to the bridal pamphlet.

Flustered, Suzaku averted his gaze. "Marianne told me she scheduled a fitting for tomorrow morning. I just wanted to see what's out there. There are so many choices, I'm already lost. I won't even know where to start tomorrow."

A perfectly logical point. A bride should be well-educated on all aspects of her upcoming wedding; doing a bit of research on dresses was perfectly understandable. Except for one tiny detail...

"Suzaku, you're not really getting married."

Cheeks reddening, Suzaku began to play with his nightdress's skirt, a habit he'd adopted since the first day he'd been forced into female clothing. "I- I know that!" he sputtered out, and Kaguya almost felt bad for bursting his bubble. "It's just that Lelouch hasn't given me any indication as to when we're... breaking up... or whatever is going to happen to us. So for now I have to keep in-character. Most women would be thrilled to do this kind of thing."

A sigh escaped Kaguya's lips as she watched Suzaku close the book and push it to the far corner of the dresser. "So... you and Lelouch..." Suzaku smiled at just the sound of his name; it made Kaguya want to laugh. He was so obvious about it, even when he cleared his throat and pretended not to know what she was talking about when she proceeded to ask what was going on between the two of them. "Well, before we arrived I do recall you saying you never even wanted to _think_ about the mere _possibility_ of having to kiss him. But I've walked in on you snogging at least twice today." She looked up at him expectantly. "It makes me wonder why the sudden change of heart."

Suzaku twirled a lock of his wig around his left index finger, avoiding her probing stare. He and Lelouch hadn't exactly been discreet about their affection, lately; they'd had quite a few heated exchanges in plain view of family members – at the time it hardly fazed them. But he hadn't considered Kaguya would call him on it. To be honest, he had no idea how to answer her; he didn't even know himself why he now viewed Lelouch in an entirely different light, why he couldn't stand to be in the same room without touching him somehow. Lelouch was still his insufferable, egotistical self, but it was different now; Suzaku found himself not caring so long as Lelouch kissed him.

"It's... it's complicated, Kaguya," he replied, placing a hand over his mouth and joining her on the bed.

Kaguya fell backwards, cradling her head in her hands. Her voice was quiet, more serious when she spoke next. "Do you love him?"

Suzaku fish-mouthed, not having a sure response. Did he love Lelouch? He certainly liked Lelouch, and right now he could without doubt admit that he was attracted to Lelouch, but _love_... Love was another matter altogether.

"I don't know, Kaguya."

"Does he love you?"

She was like a child in her insatiable curiosity. Suzaku held back a groan, growing less and less comfortable by the second. "I don't know..." What would he do if Lelouch said those words to him? He'd never even thought about it, it seemed so unfeasible.

"...Have you slept with him?"

"Kaguya!" Suzaku shrilled; mortified his younger cousin would even ask something so inappropriate. He jumped from the bed, pulling the comforter up and tossing it over her. "It's bed time for little girls now!"

She giggled, amused by his reaction and tempted to further harass him by inquiring if he wanted to sleep with Lelouch. She spared him the humiliation, however, settling underneath the blankets with a self-satisfied grin. "And big girls?" she couldn't help but tease; "what time is it for big girls, _Suzako_?"

Suzaku ignored her to the best of his ability. "_Goodnight_, Kaguya."

Her laughter continued, even after he exited the bedroom.

Their conversation stayed with him as he made his way to his own room.

_Love_...

The mere word stirred butterflies in the pit of his stomach, as if he were a young schoolgirl, and he would have loved nothing more than to just push the subject aside. He would have loved to be able to give Kaguya an answer to the question – and have it be a definitive _no_.

But he wasn't so sure anymore. He didn't know what his feelings for Lelouch were – only that they were _there_, and wouldn't be going away any time soon.

"Suzako."

Lelouch was waiting outside his bedroom door, hands buried in the pockets of his black dress slacks. Suzaku's heart thudded loudly in his chest as he took in his dashing appearance.

"I was just saying goodnight to Kaguya," he said, fully aware he had no reason to explain himself to Lelouch, but finding the need to do so regardless. "Are you going to bed?"

Lelouch nodded, straightening his posture. "Your appointment is pretty early tomorrow morning. You should get some rest too."

It was true, but sleep was hardly on Suzaku's agenda right now. He had too many things to sort out to even consider going to bed.

By this point Lelouch had opened the door to his room and hovered on the threshold, eyeing Suzaku curiously. "Is something wrong?"

It was the one thing Suzaku wasn't prepared to answer. He hesitated, his hand resting on the knob of his own bedroom door. Lelouch's gaze drifted to it and then traced a line back up to Suzaku's eyes, to the crease between his brows. He pushed door open a tad wider, stepping aside to allow entrance for one other.

"Did you want to come in?"

* * *

_Lawli: YES I WILL LEAVE IT THERE. Muahaha. :B_

_At least there was yaoi? _

_...Please review? :D_


	13. Runaway

_Lawli: What, you thought this fic was dead? How silly of you. It's only been two years since I updated! _

_...Okay so maybe I did abandon it for a while. And then, back around September when I decided I'd put this on the back burner long enough, my computer crashed and everything I had written (which was pretty much the whole chapter) disappeared. And then school got really busy so I placed this back on the back burner and focused on graduating in time (had to pull a lot of strings and take a lot of extra classes in order to do so). And then mid-April I re-watched Code Geass._

_Long story short: it rekindled my love for the fandom and for this story. Last week I graduated Cum Laude with my BA in Theatre. Have a part time job, but still a lot more free time on my hands. Hence, I was able to start from scratch on this chapter, and now here it is – way late but still here nonetheless, and better (I think, at least) than the version that was wiped from my computer when it crashed._

_Still might not be worth the wait, so I apologize profusely. There are a lot of things about this fic that I want to go back and edit – scenes I want to change, or want to add. I think I may focus on that next, but I'll still be working on the next chapter too and hopefully you won't have to wait quite so long for it._

_Disclaimer: Despite my efforts these past two years, I still don't own Code Geass. FML. _

_Warnings: BoyxBoy love. Lots of angst. In other words, the usual... ;) _

* * *

_**The Charlatans of Circumstance**_

-Chapter Thirteen-

_This is bad. _

There were a million reasons for Suzaku to ignore Lelouch's invitation and all the delicious things it implied. If he were a wise man he would turn around now, lock himself in his bedroom and pretend as if this encounter never even occurred – or, stay and demand to know when this charade between them was going to end. They hadn't even been pretending for very long, but every day drew Suzaku deeper into the life of _Suzako_, and it was getting difficult for him to decipher what was real and what was pretend. Not understanding Lelouch's feelings didn't make it any easier. The idea of those searing looks that sent butterflies aflutter in his stomach being only part of an act that would soon end... Suzaku didn't want to admit how much just that mere idea crushed him.

But what if it was? Suzaku was the one to initiate any form of true intimacy between them. Lelouch was only a man, and just like any man (like Suzaku himself) he was victim to temptations of the flesh. So what if this was nothing?

_"Do you love him?"_

Suzaku's heart hammered in his chest. The door and its implications didn't even register in his mind for a moment. All that remained was the question that Kaguya had so innocently posed – the question that should have been simple, that Suzaku should have been able to answer immediately. He shouldn't be in love with another man, especially a man who had the unique ability to infuriate him like no-one else he'd ever known one minute, and make him embarrassingly weak in the knees the next. A man who might just be waiting for the opportune moment to throw him away...

Lelouch blinked, tilting his head to the side as his lips curved into a pretty frown.

"Should I not have asked that?" he said.

Suzaku smiled at the rare, endearing sight of self-consciousness in those violet eyes. "No, it's not that. I just..." His voice trailed off as Suzaku tried best to form his inner worries into words. Nothing that came to his mind was anything he wanted to admit right now to Lelouch. The questions he wanted to ask were too difficult, mainly because he didn't know if he could stomach the answers.

_Do you love me? _

His heart ached at the high probability of Lelouch saying no. If this was all just an act to Lelouch, what would he do? He'd be humiliated. Did that mean Sayoko was right after all?

"I just don't think..." He didn't think it was a smart idea for them to keep being intimate with each other; it would only make things more difficult in the end. But Lelouch never heard the entirety of this fear, for because he could finish the sentence, a warm hand had encircled his wrist and tugged him into the now semi-familiar territory of Lelouch's bedroom. "L-Lelouch! What are you—?"

"_Shh_," Lelouch hissed, a finger to his mouth as he peered down the hallway. "My mother's coming."

This was getting tiring. Marianne was the one thing Suzaku would be happy to be free of once the charade came to an end. "All the more reason I should just go to my room," Suzaku said, reaching for the doorknob. "It won't be good for your reputation if we're caught—"

Again he was interrupted, only this time by a kiss. It was an excellent tactic, for the moment their lips touched the entire world melted away. Suzaku pressed closer, having somehow forgotten how good it felt to kiss him and now wanting to make the most of it while he had the chance. Lelouch stifled a laugh, pulling away and holding a finger to his mouth.

Sure enough, Suzaku heard the steady pace of Marianne's footsteps approaching from down the hall, accompanied by the quick snap of her voice. She was issuing an order to someone, probably a maid, when she stopped just outside the door.

"Lelouch?"

Instead of a reply Lelouch took a step away from the door, bringing Suzaku with him.

"I heard the door slam, darling. You may as well stop pretending."

"I've retired for the evening, mother, and would appreciate not being disturbed." He flashed that handsome smile, tugging Suzaku's wrist gently until they both fell back against the soft mattress. The bed springs creaked. Outside of the room Marianne huffed in a manner that clearly signified she knew something was up; but arguing would cause a scene and draw attention, and a household staff spread gossip faster than even the nosiest of socialites. In defeat she bade him a curt good-night and shortly thereafter her footsteps faded.

Suzaku sucked in a quick breath as he was pulled into Lelouch's arms. For a man with absolutely no stamina, Lelouch had a surprisingly strong grip. Or was Suzaku's resolve just not as strong as he thought? When it came to Lelouch, he didn't know what to think.

It was easier not to think, in the end. If he closed his eyes, closed the small amount of distance Lelouch left between them and claimed those full lips with his own, his heart didn't feel quite so heavy. And when Lelouch responded to the kiss eagerly, his hands sliding into place on Suzaku's narrow hips, the world finally made sense again.

Suzaku pulled away for breath, emerald eyes half-lidded as he fingered the strands of silky-black hair he'd unknowingly buried his hands in.

* * *

The next morning, Suzaku didn't feel like getting out of bed. He had his first dress appointment which Marianne would kill him if he was late to, and he had no doubt the rest of the house was already up and about, but the sheets were still warm from where Lelouch had laid with him through the night and Suzaku wanted only to bask in that warmth for a little while longer. He'd awoken to the blissful feeling of having his hair played with, and in response had curled up next to the source like a cat, almost going as far as to let out a purr in satisfaction when Lelouch acknowledged his consciousness with a morning kiss.

They'd picked up right where they left off the following evening, hands pulled to each other's bodies as if by some gravitational force, exploring, but for some reason it didn't feel right. No, that wasn't true. It felt amazing, and Suzaku's body responded eagerly to the attention. But therein lay the problem. If the feelings were merely physical, he wouldn't care. Lelouch seemed just as excited as him, but what Suzaku didn't know was if there was any emotion fueling Lelouch's actions. He didn't know if Lelouch acted purely out of lust or something more.

Suzaku wanted so badly for it to be more. It was wishful thinking, and he would probably end up regretting it later... but he wanted Lelouch to _feel_ something for him, because right now Suzaku's heart swelled in a way he never thought possible. Just from look from those amethyst eyes made his cheeks flush; one touch made his head spin.

_Look at me,_ Suzaku wanted to beg as Lelouch mouthed his neck. He ran his fingers through raven strands, tugging insistently, but Lelouch continued to kiss down the column of his throat. If not for the sensation of a warm tongue against his skin, Suzaku would have tried again. _Please look at me, please see _me_._

It terrified him, the idea that Lelouch didn't think of him as Suzaku at all. Because whenever they were together, even when alone like this, it wasn't his name that Lelouch whispered.

Lelouch's fingers slid up Suzaku's thigh, the nightdress bunching against his palm and a trill of pleasure raced down Suzaku's spine. He was aching for Lelouch's touch, desperate for Lelouch to acknowledge the part of him that was undoubtedly male, that could not be changed no matter what dress or wig or makeup he wore.

The hand slid closer and closer. Suzaku's toes curled from the anticipation of it. He already knew that warm hand enclosing his sensitive flesh would be bliss; a moan escaped him just imagining it. It was a deep, throaty sound, nothing like the soft gasps that would escape him if Lelouch kissed him in public – nothing like the kind of noise _Suzako_ would make.

Lelouch paused, and then very suddenly pulled away. Mixed emotions swirled in Suzaku's eyes as he watched Lelouch sit back against the headboard and attempt to regain some composure. He waited for an explanation of some kind, trying not to jump to conclusions. But it was difficult, especially with Lelouch's silence speaking volumes on its own.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Suzaku gathered the courage to ask the question that had been plaguing him. It was now or never.

"Lelouch... What am I to you?"

He waited, holding his breath, for any kind of response. Lelouch stiffened, his beautiful eyes widening with something like dread. To Suzaku, it had the same affect as being punched in the gut.

When a full minute passed and Lelouch did nothing but grip the bed sheets until his knuckles turned white, Suzaku closed his eyes and willed the pain in his heart to go away. He'd known all along what this was; why should he expect Lelouch's answer to be any different than what Suzaku knew deep down was the truth: they were using each other. Lelouch needed a stand-in fiancée and Suzaku needed money to pay for Kaguya's medicine; all that had changed since their initial agreement was they were now using each other for physical pleasure as well.

That was precisely why, when this whole thing started, Suzaku never wanted to entertain the idea of touching Lelouch in a sexual way. He hadn't wanted feelings to get involved; and while he never imagined he would actually develop an attachment to Lelouch (he didn't want to call it _love_, not when it was so obvious now what a fool he'd been) he hadn't wanted to open himself up to getting hurt like that.

"... I see."

It was his own fault. He was the one who kissed Lelouch in the limousine, overcome with joy and gratitude and attraction and not knowing how else to express himself. He initiated the intimacy between them.

Accepting this didn't change the fact that it hurt.

Suzaku tried to laugh. "I mean what was I expecting, a love confession?"

It really was hilarious if he thought about it. Pathetic, but hilarious if he looked at it from a point of view other than his own. Lelouch wanted Suzaku to pretend to be his fiancée to eliminate the possibility of falling in love. Because a person like Lelouch would never want to be with a person like Suzaku –an Eleven boy with no exceptional looks, no money, and no future— _that was why Lelouch chose him._

"Suzako, that's not—"

"My name," Suzaku cut him off quickly, rising from the bed to glare down at the aristocrat, "is _not Suzako_."

And with that Suzaku left the bedroom. He didn't know what he was going to do now, but he couldn't imagine staying in his house a moment longer. The Lamperouge estate had oppressed him from the moment he stepped foot inside. Sure, it gave him a taste of the life of the wealthy but he also had to endure Marianne's hostility and the uncomfortable feeling of being served by his own people. Not to mention he had to pretend to be someone else during the entirety of his stay, and the one time that mask fell he'd been rejected.

_You did it to yourself,_ Suzaku thought bitterly as he descended the stairs, still donned in a rumpled nightdress but not caring enough to change into something more appropriate for the day. Suzaku did not feel like changing into any of the fanciful clothes of Suzako's, and his own clothes were hidden away somewhere at C.C.'s brothel.

Suzaku halted on the bottom step.

C.C.'s... That's where he would go. C.C. knew Lelouch better than anyone – or so Suzaku presumed, considering she was the one who helped Lelouch develop the 'pretend fiancée' plan to begin with. Perhaps she could help him.

* * *

Euphemia sat at her usual spot at the breakfast table, cheeks an embarrassed shade of pink as Kaguya relayed to her the most recent developments in Suzako and Lelouch's relationship. Her brother was a grown man, and as such had needs, and Suzako was his fiancée so Euphemia had no doubt they'd done more together than just kiss. Still, she didn't feel comfortable hearing that Suzako had snuck into her brother's bedroom the previous evening.

"Kaguya, how do you even know this?" she said, voice a hushed whisper. It astonished her, the amount of gossip Kaguya picked up.

"I followed her, of course," Kaguya replied matter-of-factly, a proud smile on her face. For a sickly girl, she certainly had her ways of finding out information. Perhaps because of her poor health no-one ever suspected her as a spy. "She told me to go to bed but I just knew she was going to see him."

Euphemia's fingers worriedly encircled the porcelain teacup on the tray before her. "I don't think its right of you to be spying on them. What they do in... in private..." The color in her cheeks darkened and she looked away, not wanting to even think about it. It wasn't even the fact that it was her brother that bothered her so much but, for some reason, the idea of her brother with _Suzako_. Euphemia didn't understand. She truly liked Suzako, and she liked that Suzako made Lelouch happy. Lelouch deserved to be happy; Euphemia had been praying for years that he would meet someone to bring him out of his shell, someone who could bring a sincere smile to his face. And Suzako was that person. Euphemia could see it in just the way they looked at one another. So why did she feel this burning in the pit of her stomach whenever she saw them exchange those looks, or reach for each other?

"Well, i-it's none of our business."

Kaguya sighed loudly, propping her chin on her elbow. "I guess not... I just know some Britannian nobles hang the sheets out the day after the wedding. At the rate things are going, it might be a problem."

Violet eyes widened. Euphemia didn't think Kaguya would be familiar with such customs, much less the meaning behind them. Such things were adult matters; Euphemia herself had not even been informed of them until she started being courted. Why did she suddenly feel like the younger of the two of them?

"Do you really think so? I didn't think Suzako was that type of woman..." As soon as she said it, Euphemia gasped. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean that as an insult. It's just... Suzako seems so... noble. She's a good woman, good and honest and... so I don't think that she…" Her voice trailed off, Euphemia gripping the bodice of her dress tightly in an attempt to steady the bombarding emotions that suddenly bubbled up inside of her.

Kaguya blinked slowly, studying the flustered Euphemia's face. After a moment she leaned in closer to the pink-haired woman. "Say, Euphie... Do you like Suzako?"

"What?" With her surprise, Euphemia's voice took on an almost shrill quality. She met Kaguya's gaze, horrified, before releasing a shaky breath and composing herself. "O-of course I do. I'm very happy for her and Lelouch, and... Well, like I said, I think she's a good person."

"Hmm." Kaguya nodded. "So what is Euphie's type of person?" At the questioning stare she received, she elaborated. "You aren't engaged, right? So... what type of person are you looking for?"

Euphemia's lips parted, but she froze before any words could be formed. She'd never given much thought to it, truth be told. Her mother seemed bent on marrying her off to a prominent suitor – _"about the only thing you can do for the family, with your looks and personality."_ Of course she used to dream of a handsome, romantic knight sweeping her off her feet and carrying her into the sunset, but those were girlish fantasies she'd long been told to abandon.

But now that she had the chance to dream again... Euphemia closed her eyes, a hint of a smile on her lips as her mind traveled elsewhere.

An image of Suzako appeared in her mind. Suzako, the kindest person Euphemia knew... with her lightly tanned skin and faint dusting of freckles on her nose; her bright smile and beautiful, honest green eyes. Euphemia blushed. The Suzako in her mind was not wearing one of her typical dresses, but men's clothing; was it strange to be imagining her as a man? To think that, if she were a man, Suzako would be perfect – Suzako would be exactly the sort of person Euphemia could fall in love with?

"Th-they would have to be kind, and honest. And... loyal. Strong enough to protect, but gentle enough to never hurt... I..." Euphemia stopped when she heard a chuckle from Kaguya. "What is it?"

Kaguya smiled, shaking her head. "Nothing," she said quietly.

Judging by the look on the Japanese girl's face it was anything but _nothing,_ but before Euphemia could press any further the doors to the dining room burst open, revealing an exhausted Lelouch. Euphemia, unused to seeing her brother in anything less than pristine condition, was instantly alarmed by his bedraggled appearance. Something was amiss.

"Lelouch," she greeted, concern evident in her voice even as she tried to tease him next. "You look as if you need a cup of coffee."

"Suzaku," Lelouch said quietly, his eyes settling on Kaguya. "Where's Suzaku?"

Kaguya was on her feet in an instant. "What do you mean – he's not _here_?" When Lelouch only shook his head frantically, her eyes narrowed. "What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything!" Lelouch snapped, immediately on the defensive.

"Well I doubt he would just run off for _no reason_."

Euphemia glanced between the two, her heart-rate having accelerated at the start of the conversation when the world seemed to flip upside-down with a single revelation. "Um," she interjected hesitantly, unsure if she'd heard correctly or not. "_Him_?"

* * *

"I don't know what you expect me to do," C.C. drawled from where she lounged in Rakshata's usual spot on the sofa.

Suzaku licked his lips, rethinking asking for her advice. C.C. had given Lelouch the idea to hire a man to play his fiancée, and she'd helped Suzaku with his transformation into Suzako, but that hardly meant she cared about the situation. "I don't know," he admitted, picking at the frays in his old jeans. The first thing he'd done once he'd arrived was changed into his own clothes. C.C. had allowed him this, waiting until afterward to inquire as to what was going on.

"Yes you do. You wouldn't have come here if you didn't have an idea of what you wanted." She paused, considering him, and then sighed loudly. "But I can't force him to let you go, just like I can't force him to love you. As much as you may not want to see him now, you two are in this together until you can come up with a way to end things."

"But didn't he have a plan?" Suzaku asked, leaning forward on the sofa opposite of her, green eyes desperate.

As usual, C.C. met his gaze with cool indifference. "Maybe he did."

"Maybe?" Frustrated, Suzaku rose to his feet. "He didn't tell you? I thought you were his friend!"

"When it suits us, yes, we're friends."

When it suited them? What did that even_ mean_? Suzaku didn't know what to think of these people anymore. For the umpteenth time he wondered what had possessed him to ever get involved with them.

Oh, right: three hundred pounds a week, which he hadn't even seen a penny of.

_Probably planned to cheat me out of that, too._

... No. Even if Lelouch didn't return his feelings, Suzaku couldn't deny that he was a man of his word. And he'd gone out of his way to find a doctor to treat Kaguya. That counted for something.

A hand against his cheek brought Suzaku out of his reverie. C.C. stood before him, a curious look in her face. "Maybe he did have a plan," she said after a moment. "But did you ever think that maybe, after getting to know you, the plan changed?"

Suzaku opened his mouth to retaliate but nothing came out. He honestly hadn't thought about that. Suzaku assumed Lelouch knew what the end of the charade would be from the moment it started, and was only keeping it from Suzaku until the time came to set it in motion.

"He never got to know _me_," he pointed out. And even if Lelouch had gotten to know him, it still wouldn't matter. Lelouch clearly would never be interested in him that way. It was fine for him to pretend Suzaku was a woman – he could even distract himself enough with that idea to kiss him – but there were no feelings there. Lelouch would never love him.

"You know," C.C. said quietly, turning her back to Suzaku, "Lelouch isn't made of stone."

There was a lot Suzaku could say to disprove that statement but he didn't bother. It wasn't worth the energy, and, as of this moment, Suzaku hardly deemed Lelouch worthy of the time it would take for him to break down all Lelouch's masks and barriers to see the true person underneath.

Instead, he slumped back down on the sofa and wondered where to go from there. He didn't feel like returning to the Lamperouge estate; the chances of running into Lelouch were too high and, after the rejection and the way he'd abruptly left Suzaku didn't know if he could face the other man so soon. But Kaguya was still there, so Suzaku had to return eventually.

What would he do when he returned? Marianne would be furious that Suzako skipped out on the dress fitting, Lelouch would want some kind of explanation...

And Suzaku didn't want to lie anymore.

_I should just tell them all the truth._

Wryly, Suzaku played out the scenario in his mind: returning to the Lamperouge estate in his tattered jeans and T-shirt, swallowing humiliation as he met the shocked gazes of Lelouch's family and announced that Suzako had been him all along.

Lelouch would be furious at Suzaku's disobedience.

Marianne would be livid over being deceived by both her son and a filthy Eleven, but elated at the same time that Lelouch was not truly romantically involved with scum.

Kaguya would be disappointed that there was no love between him and Lelouch after all.

Euphemia would probably never trust him or be able to look at him again. Not that it mattered, because Suzaku and Kaguya would probably be banished from the house shortly after the confrontation and never see any of them again.

And then Suzaku would be in the same position as before: penniless and desperate as Kaguya's condition worsened.

"Hey."

Blinking, Suzaku looked up, surprised to meet the large blue eyes of Kallen Kouzuki. She stood at the threshold of the room wearing one of her usual kimono, red hair wildly unkempt.

"I couldn't help but overhear. Thin walls, you know," she said, her voice uncharacteristically soft as she approached him. Suzaku identified the unfamiliar shine in her eyes as sympathy. He frowned, hating that his predicament was so pathetic he even had Kallen pitying him. Catching his displeasure, Kallen's eyes hardened. "I don't usually do this. And I hardly ever stand up for Lelouch—"

"Then, please, don't bother starting now."

"_But_," Kallen pressed, "C.C. is right. He's not heartless."

Suzaku's frown deepened. "Well he could have fooled me."

"You're the one who fell in love with him," Kallen pointed out angrily. "You can't blame him if he doesn't feel the same way!"

"And what about you?" Kallen looked thoroughly taken off guard. Suzaku wanted to grin; the look on her face gave everything away. "That's exactly what you did when he didn't return your feelings. That's why you were always so bitter towards him when he was here, whenever his name was even mentioned!"

The pity was gone from her eyes, and at least for that Suzaku was grateful, even if it had been replaced with hurt instead.

"Yes," she said after a moment, voice thick with restrained tears. Suzaku's heart clenched. He hadn't meant to upset her to that extent. "That's exactly what I did. It's stupid and immature, but there's still a part of me that hates him for it." Clenching her fists, Kallen met his gaze defiantly. "I just thought you were a better person than that, is all."

Suzaku couldn't look at her as she made her way out the door. Her final rebuttal rang in his ears.

"_If you think he's so heartless, then maybe you're perfect for each other."_

* * *

Lelouch noticed Euphemia's presence belatedly. How he'd missed that shock of pink hair was beyond him, but his mind had been so preoccupied with at least a dozen other thoughts and he really hadn't seen anything besides Kaguya and, as she was probably the closest thing to Suzaku he would come across he'd rushed right into demanding the boy's location, heedless of anyone else who may have been present.

Luckily it was only Euphemia, who was gentle and kind and, if nothing else, a good secret keeper. So when he sat her down and relayed the story to her in a hushed whisper, Euphemia's eyes growing large in disbelief and bewilderment, Lelouch knew he didn't have to worry about the entire household discovering the truth.

But he did have to deal with her sense of virtue.

"It seems horribly cruel of you," she accused, after the initial shock passed. "Suzako," she paused, a blush tingeing her cheeks pink. "I mean... Suzaku is a good person. He was trying to help his cousin and you took advantage of that."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. This was the last conversation he wanted to have. There were much more pressing matters at hand, such as where the subject of this discussion had disappeared to. It made him feel sick with worry and guilt, knowing Suzaku had run off because of him – because he'd been too afraid to answer a simple question.

"Did you even care about him?"

"_What am I to you..?"_

What was he thinking? That was hardly a simple question! How could Suzaku actually expect him to answer that? It wasn't as if Suzaku came right out and said _"I love you"_ first...

Lelouch recalled the look in those emerald eyes; the way they had darkened with passion in response to what they were doing. The sound that escaped Suzaku's lips when Lelouch touched him.

_Yes he did_.

Everything about Suzaku had screamed _"I love you."_ Lelouch had been blind, stupid; so caught up in himself and how his plan was working to realize that it wasn't working at all – it was backfiring.

He hadn't wanted to ask a woman to act as his fiancée, for he'd been afraid of her developing feelings for him. Instead he'd cornered a man with no other options, and he'd thought himself brilliant for doing so, and that same man fell in love with him. And Lelouch...

"_What am I to you..?"_

Lelouch recalled the feeling of kissing Suzaku. He'd only kissed a small handful of people in his life, and the intimacy he'd shared with Suzaku had put them all to shame.

"_...I see." _

Lelouch didn't want to admit it to himself, didn't want to believe that he could have been stupid enough to fall for his own trick – to fall in love with the fiancée he'd created to deter his mother from arranging another marriage.

"_What was I expecting, a love confession?"_

But Lelouch's heart ached now over the crushed look he'd last seen in Suzaku's eyes, at the waver in his voice and the self-deprecating laughter, and the fact that he may have lost any chance of having him.

"...Yes," he realized, throat running dry as he admitted what he'd been too afraid to even consider in the bedroom with Suzaku, when it was the only that needed to be said. "I do."

_I love him._

* * *

_Lawli:Musical inspiration for this chapter - "Runaway" by Maroon 5.  
_

_So lots of stuff happening this chapter! I was originally going to wait for Suzaku asking Lelouch what he felt about him, but… it just kind of happened. So I let it happen. Hope the characters don't seem terribly OOC. Been a while since I wrote CG, so I dunno... lol_

_Also... I had to add in a bit of Euphie crushing on Suzako because, regardless of gender, I just can't imagine a universe where those two don't have some kind of feelings for each other. And Suzaku even thought earlier in the story that if they weren't meeting under these circumstances he could see himself falling in love with a girl like Euphemia. _

_ANYWAYS... hope you enjoyed this emotional roller-coaster. Thank you for riding and please join us again next time. :) _


	14. Turning Tables

_Lawli: Oh, this chapter is coming out even faster than even I imagined it would! I was going to wait till next month, but I had a burst of inspiration - meaning seriously I have no idea where half of this chapter came from, it practically wrote itself. Hope you enjoy it. There are some new characters introduced as well a slight turn of events that I hope is unexpected. _

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Especially after the long two-year hiatus, it is wonderful to know that this story still has a following! It really motivates me to keep writing! _

_Please enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

_I can't keep up with your turning tables__  
Under your thumb, I can't breathe  
So I won't let you close enough to hurt me  
_- "Turning Tables" by Adele_  
_

**The Charlatans of Circumstance  
**-Chapter Fourteen-

_I love him._

It was... ridiculous. Completely and utterly ridiculous. To think that Lelouch would fall victim to his own trick, believe the very lie he'd created. That a glance from wide emerald eyes could make his heart flutter or, if those eyes were filled with angry tears as they'd last been, shatter. He'd never felt this way for anyone in his entire life. He hadn't ever wanted to feel this way. Lovesick, was it? Pathetic. Lelouch had always scorned those he'd seen fall victim to fantasies of romance in the past. Even Euphemia – who viewed the world with the rosiest vision of all, whom he had lectured countless times in the past on the importance of being realistic and not throwing away life for a 'true love' that didn't exist – never made this kind of detrimental mistake.

All Lelouch could wonder was where he had gone wrong. He prided himself on being an intellect, a master of games and deception. Among the underground gambling society he was untouchable; he'd never lost a match. This was just another game of chess, Suzaku just another pawn, so what happened?

Somewhere along the way, Lelouch had stopped pretending. The words, the laughs, the smiles and touches ceased being carefully calculated and showy and actually became genuine. At some point – and Lelouch couldn't discern exactly when – Suzaku Kururugi had wormed his way into Lelouch's heart, somewhere a mere pawn most certainly did not belong, and now it didn't seem possible to get rid of him.

Worse yet, Lelouch didn't even know if he wanted to get rid of him anymore.

The realization had a physical impact on Lelouch, making him reach out and grip the nearest chair for support as his knees threatened to collapse beneath him. His head swam with the events of the morning – kissing Suzaku, and the unexpected confession followed by Suzaku's abrupt departure. He didn't know what to make of it all – of his own feelings, or the fact that he may have lost the person he only just discovered he loved.

_Loved..._

It made Lelouch sick just thinking about it. He wasn't that man... He wasn't that sort of man, who fell in love frivolously. He was educated, realistic. That was why he didn't believe in marriage. That was why he set up this whole farce to begin with.

It was Suzaku's fault. Under the pretense of Suzako he'd gotten Lelouch to care about him. He'd used feminine charms to trick Lelouch into liking him. It was conniving and underhanded and... not something Suzaku – who was maybe sometimes a little devious, but mainly just an aggravatingly good person - would do at all.

Even as Lelouch tried to convince himself that was the case, he knew it wasn't so. Women of all different ages and backgrounds constantly flirted with him, and he'd never before fallen victim to their feminine charms.

It was only Suzaku. Suzaku was different, special...

And now, because of Lelouch, Suzaku was gone.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

Lelouch raised his head, meeting Kaguya's defiant green eyes that were almost identical to Suzaku's. She stood with her arms akimbo, waiting for an answer. Lelouch honestly didn't know what to say, didn't know what he could do at this point. Would there be any sense in blindly searching the city for Suzaku? He wouldn't even know what to say if he found him.

Kaguya stepped forward, and Lelouch had never found a woman (besides Kallen) threatening before but there was the promise of pain written on Kaguya's face, and in that instant he trusted she would carry out that promise if need be. He almost cowered back a step, but managed to catch himself before sinking to further depths of hopelessness.

"Are you going to sit here and brood, or are you going to be a man worthy of my cousin's love?"

* * *

When nothing remained for him at the brothel but looks of either disdain (Kallen) or apathy (C.C. and Rakshata), Suzaku decided maybe the humiliation of returning to the Lamperouge estate –_ just_ to gather Kaguya and his limited belongings – wouldn't be so terrible after all.

The terrible thing was changing back into Suzako's clothing.

If things went according to the feeble plan he'd concocted in his mind (wherein he stormed into the elegant foyer, announced he was breaking off the engagement, maybe punched Lelouch in the face if the opportunity presented itself, and hurriedly packed - all without offering an explanation to the flabbergasted household) this would be the last time he would ever have to wear the degrading outfits. Still he'd had to yet again swallow his pride in order to do so, simply because he knew he would never be allowed to set foot on the grounds as Suzaku Kururugi.

The expensive folds of fabric felt heavy, suffocating as Suzaku laced himself into them. He hadn't merely changed back into the simple dress he'd rushed to the brothel wearing. Suzako was a woman of good taste, who always dressed nicely to uphold her position as Lelouch's fiancée. Lelouch sexually desired that fantasy woman, whom he'd said himself Suzaku was good at portraying (meaning Suzaku was pretty in those dresses, pretty enough to turn heads and create problematic, physical reactions in men like Lelouch and Luciano Bradley). Suzaku had never considered himself a spiteful man. Quite the opposite, in fact; he thought vengeance was a waste of time and energy, and the ends very rarely justified the means. If he had to return to that role a final time, however, he was going to make sure Lelouch realized just what he was throwing away.

So he'd gone for the most expensive-looking dress in Rakshata's wardrobe. Her only stricture had been that Suzaku return it to her intact and then describe to her in detail the fury (or heartbreak, or whatever the case may be) that was Lelouch's reaction to Suzaku walking out on their agreement.

"I'm in need of some entertainment, and his reactions are always priceless," she'd said when presenting the deep blue gown to Suzaku.

Suzaku touched a hand to the crystal detailing on the bodice, appraising his reflection in the full-length mirror. The dress, both in color and cut, gave the allusion of voluptuousness. A ruched silk-satin bodice clung to his waist and hips before flaring out in the style of a traditional ball gown. There were more crystal appliqués along the skirt, accentuated by multiple pin-tucks. A corset cinched his waist. It made breathing difficult but it created an hourglass affect on his body, which Suzaku noted wryly Lelouch naturally possessed. Who was the more feminine one now?

The mental gloating only lasted so long, for recalling the contours of Lelouch's torso soon led to Suzaku recalling other things – the softness of Lelouch's full lips, the commanding way in which Lelouch's hands, bony yet somehow still strong, explored his body...

Suzaku shook himself from the fantasy. Remembering their intimacy would do him no good now, not when he planned on ending things once and for all.

_It wasn't you he wanted,_ Suzaku told himself as he tucked his bangs into the wig, bitterly remembering the dread in Lelouch's eyes at just the mention of romantic feelings. _It never was._

Really, though, how could he have ever been naive enough to believe it was? Even if he was a woman, he would never be the kind of person Lelouch married. Lelouch – if he ever did get over himself and fall in love, which was unlikely – would end up with a beautiful, educated woman of noble status, who was intelligent and dainty and, above all else, Britannian. Because despite all his talk of rebellion and going against the norm and what his family wanted, Lelouch was a Britannian aristocrat and furthering themselves (through prosperous marriages, segregating Numbers, taking over weaker countries) was what Britannian aristocrats_ did_.

It wasn't racist; it was just the way things were.

Suzaku, regardless of gender, would never be good enough.

_"He's not heartless."_

Kallen's words from earlier echoed in his mind. Suzaku didn't want to believe them after the way he'd been hurt (the way he'd let himself be hurt) but at the same time they forced him to recall how Lelouch went out of his way to find a legitimate doctor for Kaguya, how he'd followed Suzaku and the sound of drums to the ghetto and danced with him when there was no-one to fool and thus really no need to. Little things that Lelouch did that completely caught Suzaku off guard, which Suzaku could find no hidden motivation behind...

Little things that made Suzaku's heart flutter, and made him fall in love without realizing.

_Don't._

Everything had been an act on Lelouch's part. For whatever reason, Lelouch had gone along with Suzaku's advances. There had been no emotion behind his responses, so it was pointless for Suzaku to continue combing over the situation in search of one.

_Don't do this to yourself._

He'd let his guard down, and as a result he'd been hurt. All that was left to do was lick his wounds and move on. Cut all ties with Lelouch Lamperouge and never think of the man again.

Suzaku could do that. For the benefit of himself and Kaguya, he _would _do that. By this time tomorrow they would be back in their little apartment, Kaguya comfortable in her bed (which was probably a lot less comfortable than the bed at the Lamperouge estate) and Suzaku on the hunt for whatever job he could find (he shuddered as he recalled Bradley's offer of alternative payment methods). It was not the cushy lifestyle they'd been growing comfortable with over the last few weeks, but they'd been perfectly happy with it before and they would make do with it again.

"I don't imagine you're one of C.C.'s girls..?"

At the realization that he was no longer alone, Suzaku jumped, face flushing in embarrassment as he whirled around and caught sight of a tall, attractive blond. The man leaned against the door frame, arms crossed lazily over his chest and face lit up with an amused smile.

Suzaku wondered with a mounting fear how long the man had been there and just what he had seen. How could he ever explain himself if the man had seen him without the wig? No one would ever believe the true story, not if it came from the mouth of an Eleven.

The man held up his hands in surrender. "Hey now, don't be so alarmed. I promise I didn't sneak in to watch you change. Although I _do_ wish I'd gotten here in time for that." He winked suggestively, the lewdness of his words softened by the ever-present grin and the joking twinkle of his cerulean eyes. "Name's Gino Weinberg."

_Weinberg_... Suzaku had heard that name before, and recently. His breath caught in his throat as he realized it was at the engagement party Marianne held for him and Lelouch. They hadn't officially met; Lelouch had merely pointed him out in passing. But still, Gino had to have seen him there. This was bad. What if Gino spread the word around that Lelouch was engaged to a prostitute? It would completely slander his name, not to mention it would make it extremely difficult for Suzaku to quietly slip back into his own life.

"Is there... any particular reason you're here?" Suzaku tried to keep the nervousness out of his voice, but couldn't help the slight stammer. His mind raced with the possibilities of how he could get out of this situation the fastest, before Gino realized who he was and ruined Suzaku's plan entirely.

"I just came to visit Kallen," Gino said, tone friendly.

He didn't seem like any of the other Britannian nobles Suzaku had met. Just the fact that he was standing there striking up a conversation with a random Eleven in a brothel said a great deal about his character. Then again... if he was a regular at the brothel that might explain why being among the lower class didn't faze him. There was a brief moment where Suzaku hated Gino Weinberg; it was because of selfish men like him that places like C.C.'s brothel operated. Suzaku had nothing against C.C. or any of the girls who worked for her; but it did disgust him that men like Gino Weinberg forced them into that kind of work by leaving them with no other options.

It wasn't much different than what Lelouch had done to him. Suzaku's fists clenched at his sides.

Gino noticed. "Wait, that came out bad." He laughed, and it was a boisterous, carefree sound. "I'm not, uh, a_ customer_ or anything. Been trying to charm Miss Stadtfeld into a dinner date for a while now. Not making any progress, unfortunately."

A suitor, then. While that did redeem Gino in Suzaku's eyes, it did not ease his fear of being discovered at any moment.

"Maybe if you used her real name – Kallen Kōzuki – she'd be more willing to give you a chance."

"Kō-zu-ki, hmm?" Suzaku wanted to laugh at the mispronunciation as Gino sounded the name out. Smiling at his own mistake, Gino tried again. He rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "Y'know, I've always had a thing for foreign women. Dunno what my family would say to that, though..."

Suzaku found himself speaking before he realized it. "You shouldn't let that stop you!" Soon, he was under the scrutiny of curious blue eyes. Suzaku had no choice but to elaborate, and so he did, cheeks darkening in the process. "I mean... if you care about someone, you shouldn't let what others think get in the way of that. Don't give up just because others won't approve. And I know she's stubborn, but don't give up on Kallen either."

Gino blinked. Suzaku wondered if he'd said too much. Maybe he'd misread the situation. Gino said he wanted to take Kallen out on a date, not that he was in love with her. Suzaku was just too emotional right now. Not to mention how guilty he still felt about his last conversation with Kallen. His brain just wasn't working correctly.

At some point, Gino crossed the threshold of the room. Suzaku hadn't been paying attention, and so it caught him off guard when a hand fell heavily on his shoulder. It alarmed him, not only because of it's suddenness but because he was dressed as a Suzako, and men didn't go around slapping women on the shoulders in such a manner. It was a very masculine sign of affection.

If Gino had seen Suzaku without the wig on, he didn't give anything away. Instead, he only smiled in that carefree way of his and thanked him. "I don't plan on giving up. And you shouldn't either."

"Me?"

"Yeah." Gino's arm slung around his shoulder now, and he leaned down slightly. Even with the heels on Suzaku only came to stand at his chin. "You looked pretty heartbroken when I walked in here..." His voice trailed off expectantly. Prompting blue eyes locked on Suzaku's own emerald eyes.

Suzaku hesitated. This man was a complete stranger and really had no business knowing what was troubling him. There was also the fact that Suzaku didn't know if Gino recognized him as Suzako or not – or what he would do with any information Suzaku told him if he _did _know. Suzaku couldn't trust him not to run off to the nearest tabloid.

But Suzaku's heart felt so heavy, and the concern in Gino's eyes actually seemed genuine.

"There's nothing to give up on," Suzaku said finally, hanging his head. "I thought there was something between us, but I was wrong."

"I can't believe that. Pretty thing like you, and he wasn't interested?"

Gino was trying to cheer him up. It was a kind motion to extend to a complete stranger and Suzaku was grateful for it even though the attempted humor only succeeded in making him feel worse.

_The pretty thing was all he was interested in._

"You just need to talk to him," Gino decided with a firm nod, releasing Suzaku's shoulder and talking a step forward. Determination was etched onto his face, setting his mouth into a firm line. Suzaku realized a tad belatedly that Gino wasn't the sort of person who took '_no_' for an answer. Suzaku admired his optimism, wished he could still possess some of it himself. "Sit him down and tell him how you feel."

Suzaku thought of the events of that morning. He'd all but blatantly spelled out his feelings. Lelouch would have to be stupid not to have figured them out after that, and Lelouch was not stupid. He just didn't feel the same way.

"Thanks, but I don't think that will change his mind."

Lelouch would only have one of two reactions if Suzaku actually sat down to speak with him upon returning to the Lamperouge estate: he would scoff at Suzaku and accuse him of taking the act too seriously, or he would pity him. Suzaku didn't want to face Lelouch in either case.

Gino was silent for a few moments, merely studying him.

Suzaku turned back to the mirror, eyes hardening along with his resolve. The only option was to end things quickly. Like ripping off a bandage. He couldn't stick around long enough to risk growing more attached to Lelouch; it would only bring him more pain. He would end things and return to his old life. He would be fine.

_Alone, but fine._

"I know he's stubborn," Gino said, joking aside, "but don't give up on Lelouch either. He needs you as much as you need him."

"No, he doesn't," Suzaku snapped, shaking his head to remove the image of dismayed violet eyes from his mind. "And I don't need him either. I was perfectly fine before I met him, and—" And then it clicked that Gino had trapped him and he'd practically admitted to his own guilt. Gino knew the truth – or at least a part of the truth; he knew that he was speaking to Lelouch's fiancée. Suzaku stood there gaping, shocked at his own stupidity.

Gino ruffled his hair and Suzaku winced. Thankfully, the action didn't twist the wig off-center.

* * *

There were only so many places Suzaku could go, alone and on foot. Lelouch decided he would first check the shoddy apartment in the ghetto. Kaguya accompanied him, much to Lelouch's unease. He didn't feel comfortable with dragging her all around the city, and he seriously doubted Suzaku would approve either, but she'd insisted and she did know Suzaku better than anyone so Lelouch let her have her way.

They'd taken the family car to save time, but the farther into the ghetto they traveled the narrower the streets became and the more vicious the glares of the passersby. When the chauffeur parked in front of the decrepit brick building, flashing Lelouch an uncertain look, Lelouch sighed and unbuckled his seat belt, debating what to do next.

"Circle back to the City Hall. The walk isn't too far. I'll meet you there within the hour."

Relieved, the chauffeur nodded.

"I'm coming too," Kaguya said, reaching for the door.

"I don't think it's a good idea." Lelouch grabbed her wrist. It was bony and white, unlike Suzaku's tanned skin; a sign of her illness. "It's safer by City Hall. I'd prefer it if you stayed in the car."

Kaguya made a show of rolling her eyes. "Please. You forget I grew up on these streets."

She had a point. "Still—"

The door slammed in Lelouch's face.

* * *

"So... How do you know Lelouch?"

They sat beside each other in the carriage, Gino lounging comfortably with his long legs stretched out in front of him and an arm around Suzaku and Suzaku ducking low in his seat at the risk of being seen by anyone else who might recognize him.

"We were school friends," Gino said, and then shook his head. "Well, maybe not really friends. Our conversations were always kind of one-sided." Suzaku didn't have a hard time imagining that; he actually smiled as he pictured an outgoing schoolboy Gino laughing and smacking Lelouch on the back in that friendly-but-still-annoying way of his and Lelouch bristling but refraining from saying anything impolite. "We went to school together, anyway."

"Was he just as pompous back then?" Suzaku couldn't help asking.

Gino laughed. "He was actually really quiet. Never really did much after classes but take care of his sister."

"Euphie was there too?" It occurred to Suzaku he never asked if Euphemia attended school or not. She was a noble, so obviously she was educated. She must have been in Lelouch's class.

"Nah, she was home-schooled with the older one – Cornelia, I think." Suzaku vaguely recalled Lelouch mentioning his oldest sister; she was a Lieutenant in the army or something like that, engaged to marry some other military official whose name Suzaku couldn't remember. Gino waved a hand dismissively. "I'm talking about Nunnally. Lelouch hardly left her side when they were kids."

_"I have a younger sister. Nunnally. She's... not in the best health, either."_

Suzaku's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. Lelouch's isolation in school, the pink roses in the garden at the Lamperouge estate, even Lelouch's desire to find a better doctor of Kaguya... Nunnally was the reason for it all. "When did she die," he asked, voice dropping to a whisper.

_"I know what it's like to worry all the time, to want to provide for her."_

"A few years ago... A brain tumor, they said. It was pretty bad... by the end of it she couldn't walk or see, or anything..." Gino spoke awkwardly, obviously not accustomed to serious conversation.

Suzaku felt bad for making him explain the situation – and he felt sick now, knowing the truth. But it explained everything. Lelouch's attitude, why he acted one way in private and a completely different way in front of others; why he distanced himself and treated others poorly on purpose. It wasn't because he was pompous and considered himself better than everyone else...

It was because he'd been hurt. He'd lost someone he loved, and so had built up a barrier around his heart to protect it from being broken again.

_If you never love, you'll never get hurt. Lelouch, you..._

_"He's not heartless."_

Suzaku understood now.

_You've been shouldering this pain all alone, haven't you?_ Because Lelouch wasn't heartless. He was the complete opposite of heartless; he never wanted anyone to see him upset – he didn't want to burden them with his heartache, and so shut everyone out and faced the dread on his own.

"I don't know exactly what the situation is between you, and I won't ask. But I really do think you make him happy, and..." Gino's voice trailed off, sheepishly. "Well, you know my opinion."

Suzaku wondered if he was too late. The carriage was on course for the Lamperouge estate, but it was already well after noon. What if Lelouch wasn't waiting for him? What if Suzaku had ruined things completely?

"Gino—" Suzaku's words halted in his throat as he caught sight of a familiar car parked in front of City Hall. Always quick to action, Suzaku didn't even stop to think about what he was doing. The carriage was still in motion as he jumped onto the pavement, stumbling in his heels but remarkably not falling.

"Hey!" Gino called after him. "Are you crazy?"

"Maybe!" Suzaku yelled back, hoisting up the skirt of his dress as he dashed across the street, dodging cars and carriages alike. He could hear Gino shouting at his driver to stop the carriage. Suzaku didn't wait for him, instead marching right up to the driver's door and banging on the window desperately. "Lelouch!"

The window rolled down. "M-Miss Suzako," the chauffeur stammered, clearly surprised to see Lelouch's fiancée – and being pursued by a handsome aristocrat, no less. "I'm afraid Master Lamperouge isn't here. He's gone on an errand."

Errand? Suzaku frowned, wondering what that meant. Did Lelouch really not care about what occurred that morning? Or was it just the opposite – was Lelouch searching for him?

"Where did he go?"

The chauffeur shook his head. "Nowhere a young woman such as yourself should follow. I assure you he won't be long. If you would just wait in the car, I'm sure he'll arrive soon..." Suzaku could detect a hint of worry in the man's tone as he spoke, as if he didn't quite believe his own words – as if he'd been waiting for Lelouch for a while and doubted he would be showing up at all.

Clenching his fists, Suzaku drew himself up to full height. He was not just going to sit around and do nothing. Lelouch needed to know. Suzaku needed to find him and tell him how he felt, and how he understood Lelouch's pain. Even if Lelouch didn't love him the same way, Suzaku still wanted to be there for him, wanted Lelouch to know that Suzaku would help carry the hurt, would do anything in his power to make it go away.

"As future lady of the house, I demand you take me to him. Gino can protect me, if necessary."

Gino, who'd finally made it across the street and now stood beside Suzaku, looked bewildered. The chauffeur glanced between them; as far as he knew they both outranked him in social class, so he had no choice but to concede.

* * *

They'd been waiting for them outside. A group of seven or so Numbers, each one bigger than the last, flanking Lelouch and Kaguya on either side once they'd exited the brick building not even ten minutes later. Suzaku had been nowhere in sight, and Lelouch suggested they check C.C.'s next, but before they could even take two steps they'd been ambushed. Lelouch shielded Kaguya behind him, snarling in a way he hoped was threatening as he tried to conjure escape plans. Familiar though he was with underground gamblers, they were all nobleman such as himself and very rarely got into physical brawls; losses were dealt with in a gentlemanly fashion, using only words. Lelouch had no idea how to handle himself in a fight.

"Lost your way, Brit?" One of the men laughed. "Bad idea sending your driver away."

Something caught the reflection of the sun, flashing brilliantly. A knife.

"What do you want?" He said, thankful a tremble didn't penetrate his voice. The last thing he wanted these people to see him was scared. He was better than this trash, and he didn't have time to deal with them. Whatever they wanted he was willing to let them have; he'd send the authorities after them later – already in his mind he had a picture of what each of them looked like. Right now he just wanted to get to Suzaku.

One of the men, a lanky Eleven whose brown hair was pulled back by a red band, leered at him. "Don't act so high and mighty with us, Brit shit."

Lelouch stiffened as the lapel of his coat was grabbed and he was shoved to the side, away from Kaguya. A hurried glance over his shoulder showed that the girl had taken several steps back towards the apartment building.

"Didn't you ever learn not to take your eyes off your opponent?" the Eleven snarled. Before Lelouch could formulate a response, he was met with a sharp right hook that knocked him off his feet.

"Tamaki," another if the men, a more traditional-looking Eleven, spoke up calmly.

"What?" Tamaki said. "That's a valuable lesson!"

Violet eyes narrowed. "What do you want?" he asked again, resisting the urge to hold a hand against his throbbing cheek. "If it's money, here." Lelouch grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and tossed it at the nearest pair of feet. "Take it."

"Would ya look at that – a Brit giving out handouts. You don't see that every day."

Tamaki kicked the wallet away. Lelouch watched, dumbfounded, not knowing what to do next. Wasn't that what they wanted?

"We don't need your money. At least," Tamaki laughed, lowering himself in front of Lelouch, "not that little of it." Lelouch frowned as his chin was grabbed roughly, his head turned from side to side. "Good-lookin' guy like you... Nice clothes, too, definitely from a good family. Wonder who'd pay more for ya – mommy and daddy, or the Black Knights?"

Lelouch's blood ran cold in his veins, and he couldn't hide his fear this time. The Black Knights were notorious in the underground, mainly for pushing drugs like Refrain; but rumor had it they'd expanded into more dangerous affairs, like slave trade on the black market.

"Hurry up. We're supposed to meet at the pier by three. Rough 'em up a bit and lets go," another of the men growled, impatiently glancing at his watch.

Tamaki grunted, hoisting Lelouch up again. "Fine," he said. Before Lelouch knew it, a fist once again connected with his face – his jaw this time; he felt his lip split on impact – followed by one to his gut, forcibly expelling the air from his lungs.

Dimly, Kaguya's voice registered in Lelouch's mind. She was yelling something but he couldn't comprehend – Japanese, most likely, and of all the languages Lelouch knew that was not one of them. He didn't know if she was yelling or crying, but he did recognize when she screamed. He wished he could tell her that everything would be all right, even if it was a lie.

"G'night, Brit."

A blunt force connected with his head. The hilt of the knife, probably. His vision swam. Lelouch quickly saw the ground rising up to meet him.

Before his vision went black, however, Lelouch saw the glimmer of blue silk.

_Suzaku..._

* * *

_Lawli: It's Suzaku-in-a-dress to the rescueeee!_

_... Um, hope Gino wasn't terribly OOC. I wasn't planning on having him in this fic at all, but apparently the fic wanted him there. Just like I was planning on having Nunnally alive, but the fic didn't want that to be the case and Lelouch needed a reason for having acted like a douchebag... haha_

Please review? :D


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